


Ghostly is the Name of the Game

by ridingthemagic2arpet



Series: The Oliver/Felicity AU World [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: CEO, F/M, Felicity Smoak - Freeform, Ghost Oliver, Major Character Undeath, Merlance, Multi, Theroy, but its relevant, im not even sure what that tag means, olicity - Freeform, so it stays
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25743844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ridingthemagic2arpet/pseuds/ridingthemagic2arpet
Summary: Felicity Smoak has moved into a condo to find that... it's haunted by it's previous owner. Oliver Ghost! Queen is a major spiritual pain in the ass... but maybe they might become unlikely roomates.
Relationships: Laurel Lance/Tommy Merlyn, Nyssa al Ghul/Sara Lance, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Roy Harper/Thea Queen
Series: The Oliver/Felicity AU World [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1492292
Comments: 120
Kudos: 148





	1. Talk Me Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity moves into her new condo... and she's not crazy. She promises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the purpose of this fic, the Lance sisters never knew Oliver Queen and by extension, they only know Thea and Roy through Tommy.

_**April 16th, 10:02 A.M**_.

Felicity Smoak wrapped one arm around her surprisingly heavy cardboard box and pushed the sturdy brown oak door in, stepping over the threshold and into her newly minted condo. Silently, she cursed the moving company for already leaving as she stumbled over a loose floorboard. 

It would have been a _little_ nice to have some extra hands helping her move the literal truck - load of boxes and knick knacks into the house. But alas, they had rumbled down the road merely an hour ago, leaving her to sweat through her thin shirt.

The house had been everything she was looking for when she moved from Coast City to Starling City. Her condo sat upon a small plateau that overlooked Starling City Bay and it had a direct view into the city. 

It was also rather isolated, which had been a key factor in her picking the place. While it was still close enough to the city that it wouldn’t be more than a twenty minute drive there, it still gave her the privacy that she so longed for.

Felicity was in the simplest of terms, a genius. She had gone to M.I.T. and graduated at the age of 19 with an IQ of 170. Now, she was 24, and had just risen to the top of the country’s top ten - youngest CEOs list. Her company - Smoak Technologies - was an up and running competitor on the playing field - along with some of Starling’s very own companies like Merlyn Global, Queen Consolidated, and Palmer Technologies. It was a lot of work, and Felicity had dedicated countless hours and time and resources into proving that as a young female, she could be a valuable business woman. Every male - dominant company that had shut her down or pushed her out would come to regret not taking her as the asset she was when they had the chance. 

Not that she was complaining, because Smoak Technologies had major investors already backing their ideas and projects. However, with this positive shine on her and her baby, it meant the paparazzi were running over one another for the next interview - or the next not - so fabulous picture (seriously, who took pictures of someone when they were washing down a hard night’s work with a Big Belly Buster and a side of large fries? It was completely uncalled for). So the condo was sectioned off enough that it gave her good privacy. 

It was fairly new too, according to her contractor. The previous owner had had it built only six years prior. Why anyone would move out was something Felicity could not fathom. Maybe he or she had gotten married? 

Whatever the case was, it worked well in her favor.

  
The interior was beautiful as well. The condo was two stories - with one master bedroom and two guestrooms, and an adjoining bathroom to each room. There was a high - ceiling kitchen - that if she were being honest, Felicity would never use with her disastrous ways, and the living room was already cozy. She had moved in a length black couch and a single heather gray loveseat that fit in with the marble and chrome theme that the counters and ceiling were. 

As Felicity set down the box onto the cold floor, her phone rang. Reaching into her backpocket, the blonde answered on autopilot. 

'Felicity Smoak speaking. Who is this?' She spoke into the reciever as she began to pull out small trinkets to adorn the top of her fire place. A snowglobe from the Detroit Zoo, a model figure of the Empire State Building from New York, a hula girl from Hawaii, and a toy TARDIS - all lined up in a cute row. 

'Wow', The voice on the other side of the line teased. 'You sound so official, Lis. Am I going to have to make an appointment to see you these days'?

Felicity's cherry red painted lips automatically upturned. 'Well I can't have my wild child of a best friend wreaking havoc whenever she sees fit. Isn't that right, Sara?'

Sara Lance had been Felicity's best friend since they had managed to mix up hotel rooms back when they were traveling to Europe. They had shared a room and then exchanged numbers, and from then on out, it had been blue skies. Through Sara, Felicity had met Nyssa al Ghul. Nyssa was a dark headed beauty with a mysterious accent and a boss - ass demeanor. Nyssa and Sara were dating.

'Oh how being rich and famous has changed you.' Sara said dramatically. Felicity could faintly hear Nyssa's laughter. 'I'm so glad that you're going to be based in Starling. We can see each other way more frequently now. And I can finally introduce you to my sister and her boyfriend. Oh! And my dad, and some of my friends.'

Felicity reached for another box full of dishware. She began to unpack it into the cabinets and drawers. 'I think I'd like to see you and Nyssa first before I meet your whole social circle, Sara, darling.'

Sara let out a loud laugh. 'Funny you should say that, Lis. I think you should start walking to your door.'

'Why?' Felicity questioned, although she started walking anyways. Her question was answered when her doorbell rang not even seconds later. 

'There's a present waiting for you!" Sara shouted gleefully before hanging up. Pocketing her phone, she opened the door, only to be met with two female figures. 

'IT'S US! WE'RE THE PRESENT!' Sara hollered, throwing her arms around Felicity into a warm and inviting hug.   
  
Had it been any other time, Felicity would have let her tongue loose with a snarky remark — but, it had been months since she had seen Sara and Nyssa, so she threw caution to the wind and flung herself into the hug. 

‘I missed you both so much.’ Felicity mumbled into Sara’s blonde hair. 

Sara let go, only for Nyssa to take her place. ‘We missed you too, little one.’ Nyssa said kindly. Nyssa smelled like spices and flowers.

Sara dangled a black grocery bag from her fingers. ‘We brought you a little house warming gift.’ Felicity was willing to bet her entire company that it was an alcoholic beverage... and, there it was. Sara pulled a bottle of wax - sealed champagne out of the bag. ‘We thought that your moving here called for a celebration.’

Felicity smiled in appreciation. ‘So... is there anywhere around here I should familiarize myself with?’ She asked. 

‘Yeah.’ Sara said. ‘The nearest strip joint.’   
  
Felicity coughed on her own spit. It was no secret between the three of them that Sara has been pushing for Felicity to get laid since her impromptu breakup with the Palmer Tech CEO, Ray Palmer. Ray was a nice guy, and they had ended things on good terms but.... he was just too... busy. 

As the CEO of her own company, Felicity understood how time consuming it was to make sure everything was working and that all the t’s were crossed and the i’s were dotted. But Ray was a workaholic. He was never available for date night, and his office hours were ridiculous. He was married to his job. So, no. Felicity had decided that she wanted something more than that. Which had been great and all, but now she was constantly being prodded to get out and spread her legs for the nearest muscle man she saw.

And truly, there was no problem with one night stands. Felicity had her fair share of them, but she wasn’t actively looking for anything romantic or sexual. Even if it meant her dry spell was drier than the Sahara Desert. 

‘The next time I have sex, I promise you I’ll call you seconds after I orgasm.’ Felicity snarked. 

‘No need to get grumpy, Lis.” Sara cooed while popping the champagne open. ‘That’s just the dry spell talking.’ 

Felicity rolled her eyes and held out the glasses for Sara to pour the fizzing beverage into. ‘Nyssa, please. Control your girlfriend.’ 

Nyssa chuckled. ‘Sara, darling. I’m sure when Felicity is ready to insert herself back into the sexual circle, she will. But -‘ She turned back to Felicity with dark, approving eyes. ‘- I would completely understand if you felt that a man could not satisfy your needs. Women are superior.’

Felicity’s cheeks began to burn at the implication. The blonde grabbed a glass and turned around to hide her smoldering face and -

‘Oh!’ Felicity exclaimed. ‘I didn’t know you guys brought someone else here. I didn’t even notice you walk through the front door. Hi!’ She introduced. ‘My name is Felicity Smoak.’

The man was already sitting on one of the lilac barstools by the kitchen island, his rough but handsome features screwed up in a scowl. He was a blonde, his hair cropped at the top, and his colbat blue eyes burning intensely. How she had managed to ignore a hunk like him was a mystery. 

Nyssa stepped beside her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘Who are you talking to, little one?’ 

Felicity broke her gaze away from the god of a man sitting in her house like he owned the place. ‘What are _you_ talking about? Him! Right there!’ 

The man in question raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, his head bracketed by his fists. Almost as if to say; _You might want to get your head checked_. 

Sara laughed a little uncomfortably. ‘Felicity, there’s no one here except the three of us. Maybe you had too much to drink?’ She suggested, plucking the champagne flute out of her hand. 

‘I barely took a sip.’ Felicity said angrily, feeling her neck begin to flush with embarrassment. She wasn’t crazy. She _wasn’t_. There was a man sitting right there on her barstool and he was — _RUDE_. He was sticking his middle finger up at her. 

‘Hey!’ Felicity shouted. ‘Who the hell do you think you are, buddy?’ 

The golden haired male only smirked tauntingly and blew her a kiss.

_The fucking nerve!_

’Felicity, you’re making us worried.’ Sara said soothingly. ‘There’s no one there.’ She gestured to the “empty” space. 

Was she going insane? Why couldn’t they see this guy? He was literally a giant. There was no way to miss him! 

But still, she plastered on a smile and shook her head. ‘Got you!’ Felicity teased -hopefully- convincingly. ‘Bet you thought I belonged in the mental ward.’ 

Nyssa and Sara both let out sighs of relief. ‘For a second you had us worried, little one.’ Nyssa said. 

‘Yeah. The next thing we know you would have been telling us about ghosts.’ Sara joked. 

Felicity laughed unsurely. ‘Ghosts... yeah. Ridiculous.’ But even as she said it, the man with the blue eyes and too - perfect smirk only winked before fading away right in front of her. She didn’t hesitate to grab the champagne bottle and throw some more in her flute before downing it in one gulp.

—><—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! I'm back! I hope you guys are doing good during this quarantine. I promise. I will finish this fic. Along with The Devil's Pet. I will. I promise. I hope you guys enjoyed the first installment of this fic! Don't forget to comment and leave kudos. 
> 
> Happy reading! 
> 
> P.S. this story will be updated every Thursday or Saturday starting next week!!


	2. Undead Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver is scoping out his new roomie. Maybe he would like her better if she stopped calling him an asshat.

_**April 18th, 3:41 P.M.** _

Oliver watched with rapt attention as the small blonde bustled about _his_ house. Felicity - that was her name, as her friends had so called her. She had only moved in a few days ago and she was... a lot brighter and more bubbly than he had been when he had been... well... living. The furniture that she had brought with her had been a lot more homely than the sterile all white chairs and off white paint on the walls. 

As he braced upon the fireplace, he noticed that there wasn't an inch of the house that hadn't been made her own. From the small assortment of souveneirs she had brought from her travel destinations (but seriously, she had placed a Detroit Zoo snowglobe like they were in a middle of a childrens' horror film about a blue - haired girl who had another mother or something, it was kind of ridiculous) to the decorated throw pillows strung across her five seater - couch, it was very Felicity - like. He hadn't gone into her bedroom because it seemed a bit private, but the kitchen had different coasters and mugs with Harry Potter designs and something that looked suspciously like a blue telephone booth (and now that he thought about it, there was also one on the fire place). 

And _okay_. Even Oliver could admit that this Felicity character was adorable in a nerdy - classy way. But, it still didn't cancel out the fact that she had bought his house - which was rude. Even if he was dead, she should still be respectful of the deads' property. The last owner of the house had learned that the hard way (he could still see her flying down the street when she realized the house had a spirit floating around). 

No matter how cute this blonde was, Oliver was determined to get her out. This house was his, and he didn't like that she was staking a claim on it. In fact, he had already made his presence known to her, and her friends had already planted the _crazy seed_ in her head. So props to them. 

Oh, and there she was now.

Oliver studied her as she answered the door, her hair down for the first time since she had moved in. Her hair was straw colored, like it had been hit by a beam of sunshine and her lips were always painted a bright pink or a deep red, and if not, always properly glossed over. And her outfits were the cutest things in his opinion. When she was home alone, she wore panda pants and a shirt that had a dragon on it with the words _House of Targaryen_ on the front. 

Felicity handed a twenty dollar bill to the pizza delivery boy and took the box from him, her eyes lit up with glee.

Oliver snorted. Here this girl was, eating unhealthy food in his organic product - only house. She was tarnishing it for everything he had made it worth. It was unacceptable.

He phased into existence, something he had long practiced. 'Pizza is one of the unhealthiest foods to eat, but you order it like it's your religion.' He said. 

Felicity yelped - much to his satisfaction - before turning away from him. 'He's not real. You're not crazy.' She muttered under her breath, making his lips quirk up. Excellent. She was already questioning her own sanity, which meant she would be packing her things soon.

'You are crazy, Felicity.' He encouraged cruelly. 'Your friends couldn't see me, but you could. Why is that?' Felicity pointedly turned on the TV and ignored him. He watched in amusement as she pretended he wasn't there. It was so fun freaking the ever loving shit out of the alive ones. He couldn't help but groan as she pulled the tab of the pizza box open. There was pineapple on her pizza. _Pineapple_. Like what the fuck?

'Oh god, you're one of those people.' He complained, noticing her posture stiffen as he spoke. 'I don't even need to convince you that you're psychotic. Your pineapple on pizza is enough to show that you are.' He was almost surprised when she turned around and glared at him.

'Listen, buddy. Get the hell out of my head, or my house, or whatever! I don't want it! And if you insult my pizza toppings one more time I'm to throw a slice in your face, Asshat!'

'Asshat?' Oliver spluttered. 'Who are you calling an asshat, you fun - sized homosapien? AND, this is _my_ house, blondie, so _you_ should be getting out!'

Felicity narrowed her eyes at the way too attractive pain in the ass. 'Did you really just use the scientific term for human to insult me?' 

Oliver felt his face heat up. 'Maybe.'

'Look, Chester -'

' _Chester?_ I don't look anything like that kid from Fairly Odd Parents. And stop making pop culture references. I'm a little behind on the times.'

'Look, Chester -' Felicity started again. '-I hate to break to you but my name is signed under the lease for this condo. And in case you didn't know, that means this property is mine to sleep, eat, bathe, and do whatever the hell I want to do in for the next -'

'I know how leases work.' Oliver snapped, his striking blue eyes meeting hers. 

Felicity smiled smugly, and god, he hated how it made him want to slam her up against the nearest wall and just --

 _Stop_ , he chided himself. _She's the enemy._

'I think we've come to an understanding then.' She said, before turning around and raising the volume on her TV just a few levels. Oliver sighed and siddled up to the couch and plopped down besides her. 

'Listen, lady.'

'My name is Felicity.' The genius said through a mouthful of pizza. 

Oliver sighed in irritation again. 'I know what your name is, _lady_. I just don't want to call you by it.'

’Well I don’t care about what you want.’ Felicity said with gumption. ‘You’re not real and I’m just talking to myself. I don’t know why I would create someone so annoying to keep me company.’

’You’re annoying.’ Oliver fired back rather childishly. ‘How would you like it if someone invaded your house and said that it was theirs?’

’Hello?’ Felicity deadpanned. 'I'm living through that exact horror right now. A freaking man that's invisible to everyone but me is fucking around in _my_ house.'

'You mean _my_ house.' Oliver argued.

'No, I mean _my_ house.' Felicity said, glaring him down.

'My house.'

'My house.'

'My house.' Oliver groaned.

'My house.'

'My house.'

'Your house.' Felicity said.

'Your house.' Oliver copied.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Oliver ran a hand through his buzzed hair with a moan of defeat. 'I hate you.'

'The feeling's mutual, Asshatter.' Felicity took another bite of her pizza.

Oliver crossed his arms grumpily and side eyed her greasy triangle that was bread, cheese, tomato sauce, and pineapple. 'If I were alive I would make you a proper meal before kicking you out.'

The blonde girl snorted into her food. 'You sound like a real charmer. I bet you got the ladies.'

Oliver grinned to himself. 'As a matter of fact, I was. You'd catch me Sunday to Sunday with a girls hanging off my arms. Everyone wanted a piece of me.'

'You sound like a douche. And very egocentrical.' Felicity added on thoughtfully. Oliver tried not to notice how her finger nails glittered an adoringly cute pale green color. 

'That may be true, but my skills inside of the bedroom were not oversold.' He said smugly, trying to see if he could catch her interest. He was sorely disappointed though when all she did was let out a loud guffaw, her eyes trained on the screen in front of her. He vaguely recognized the Avengers, Captain America kicking alien ass in the Battle of New York. 'What's so funny?' He asked.

'My imaginary Asshat has had imaginary sex. What a joke.' Felicity finally turned to look at him. 'Props to you, though.' She waved her pizza slice around. 'You're getting more than me these days. And Sara won't shut up about it, you know.'

'If I were alive, I could take care of that for you.' Oliver grinned rakishly at her. 

Felicity flipped him off and then...

'WHAT DO YOU MEAN IF YOU WERE _ALIVE?_ ' Felicity half shrieked as she lept off the couch, her plate of pizza clattering to the floor. 

'You've been here for less than a week and you're already making a mess, Felicity.' He sighed. 'How will my house survive with you wrecking things?'

'I am not playing with you, Asshat.' Felicity aimed the remote controller at him like it was a military grade weapon. 'I will call an exorcist in ten seconds if you don't explain yourself.'

Oliver found it hard to take her seriously when there was a bit of pizza sauce on her panda pajamas but--

'I'm a ghost, fun - sized. I died here like three years ago. This used to be my house. I had it built six years ago.’ 

‘So if I touch you I won’t like... become ghost touched or anything right?’ Felicity asked cautiously, reaching for his arm like it was a grenade. 

‘No, Kit Kat. I don’t know what that means but it sounds stupid. And highly unlikely.’

’Highly unlikely is not a definite no.’ 

’If you try to touch me, your hand will pass right through me.’

Felicity stepped closer, and tried grabbing his hand. When her fingers closed on air, she let out a gasp. ‘Oh!’ She exclaimed. ‘How odd. I sort felt like a small tingle, where your hand should be.’

The ghost rolled his eyes. 'Yes, I suppose it is rather odd that you're roomates with a spiritual being.' He studied her for a moment. 'You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would. Maybe you are crazy.' He decided. Felicity was fidgeting a little, her fingers tangeled togther, but despite her nervous habits, she looked... _excited_. 

'Well, duh.' The blonde said so matter-of-factly that Oliver had to eye her one more time to make sure she was okay. 'I didn't know that we could talk to ghosts and people that have already passed. That's pretty freaking cool. Very sci-fi chic, Asshat. I like it.'

'You generally can't speak to ghosts.' The formerly living person pointed out. 'I'm just the exception. And - ' He cut her off with a raised hand, '- I suppose that I should tell you my name now that we're going to be roomies.' He smiled at her disgruntled expression. 'Oliver Jonas Queen at your service.' He held up his palm for her to hi - five.

'Felicity Megan Smoak', Was her reply. She eyed his outstretched arm. 'I'm not hi - fiving you, Oliver. My hand will just go right through yours.' Then her eyes widened. 'Oh my god! You're telling me you're a ghost but what if this is just my imagination? What if you're not really there? What if I-?'

'- Really do belong in an asylum?' Oliver finished for her, a teasing smirk lighting up his tan features. 'Sounds like you need to figure that out. But, regardless of whatever your conclusion may be, I will always be around.'

Felicity frowned. 'Every dead person is... well... dead. Why are you lingering around? And how did you die?'

Oliver scratched his head. 'I don't really know why I'm still here, to be honest. And I don't remember how I died. All I know is that one day, I was standing in the upstairs balcony and the next thing I knew, I was dead.'

'Hm. Interesting. Of course, you might of just looked in the mirror because you are drop - dead gorgeous.' Felicity muttered the last part.

'What'? Oliver asked with a huge grin, which made her know he heard what she said and just wanted her to repeat herself.

'I said what I said.' The CEO snapped. When Oliver laughed boisterously, Felicity only said; 'Shut up, Asshat.'

But she was smiling when she said it, so he counted it as a win. 

Well, if he couldn't convince her to move out right away, she seemed like an okay person to hang out with. Just temporarily, though. 

\--><\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HII! I'm back again with another chapter, as promised. I hope you guys enjoyed it. As a person who watches a lot of TV and reads a lot of books, I have to acknowledge that I'm a complete sucker when it comes to banter, so I'm trying to incorporate it into my own writing. Don't forget to comment and leave kudos!  
> Happy reading :)
> 
> P.S. stay safe out there guys. So many bad things are happening in the world right now, whether it be from the corona virus, or the racism against blacks (and other races as well). It's a dangerous time, so please make sure to be aware! Love you guys!


	3. Under the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity is sleep deprived. She also meets some new people!

**_April 22nd, 4:51 P.M._ **

Felicity was already on her way out of the office when she bumped into a strangely familar face. She didn't know the dark haired man by name, but she recognized him from somewhere. They had crashed into each other quite literally. 

'Oh, god! I am so sorry!' Felicity apologized, as her third cup of coffee for the day splashed down the front of the man's baby blue button down shirt. 'I am such a klutz! If you give me a minute, I can run to the breakroom and get you some napkins Mr.....?' She laughed nervously, her hands gesticulating wildly as she spoke. 'I don't know your name.'

His blue eyes twinkled mischeviously, and she would bet her life that he had been a heartbreaker. He probably still was. 'No need! My girlfriend is on her way up here and she always carries tissues around. She's sanitary like that.' He winked at her. Felicity felt like she was missing a double meaning somewhere there, but it was hard to tell. He seemed flirtatious by nature.

'Your name?' She prompted once more, as a strikingly tall and beautiful brunette stepped out of the elevator.

'Tommy Merlyn. I'm sure you've heard all about me from Sara. And this -', He held out his hand for the women as her heels clacked on the floor, '- Is Laurel Lance. Sara's sister.'

Well, shit. First impressions were clearly not her strong suit.

'Ah, yes. Sara has mentioned both of you quiet a few times. I was wondering why you both looked so familiar.' Felicity said. 'Sorry about the coffee spillage.' She apologized again.

Tommy waved her off. 'No worries.' He turned to Laurel then. 'Babe? I was wondering if you had any napkins in your bag?' 

Laurel smiled pleasantly at Tommy. 'I do, babe. But Felicity and I want some one on one time, so maybe you should go find the men's bathroom.' She suggested.

'Oooo kay.' The Merlyn heir drawled. 'I'll be right back, ladies.' Laurel and Felicity waved goodbye as he entered the Smoak Tech building. 

As soon as Tommy was around the double doors, Laurel pulled Felicity into a big hug. 'It's so good to finally meet the girl that my baby sister has been raving is the best best friend in the entire world. I feel like I already know you!'

Oh. This warm welcome was not unpleasant at all. 

'I could say the same!' Felicity wiped her palms on her purple dress, hoping that no coffee had spilled on her. 'Sara tells me you work at the District Attorney's office.' At Laurel's nod, Felicity grinned. 'I'm glad. It's always good to see women in a field where men have been known to dominate.'

Laurel scoffed at her, a wide smile spreading across her. ‘You’re one to talk! One of the youngest CEOs on the East Coast is a woman, straight out of M.I.T.!’ At Felicity’s confused look, Laurel added: ‘Sara filled us in on all the details.’ As Tommy pushed open the door once more, napkins in hand, Laurel placed her hand over Felicity. ‘I know we just met but I’m hoping we can get coffee sometime.’  
  


'Yeah, of course. We should exchange numbers.' Felicity suggested. The blonde quickly whipped out her phone and opened up a tab for Laurel to add her contact. Laurel took it and punched in her number. 

'Perfect!' Laurel said happily. 'I'll text you soon to make plans.'

'Sounds good!' Felicity exclaimed. 'I'll see you two soon, then.' 

'It was nice meeting you, Felicity.' Tommy waved goodbye.

Felicity smiled to herself as she walked to her Mini Cooper that was parked in the Smoak Tech parking lot. She hadn't had any idea that she would be meeting anyone so soon, but it was good nonetheless. Since she had only moved to Starling recently, the Smoak Tech offices back in Coast City were transferring the important documents and data that she needed to get the Starling based offices up and running. The building in itself was still a work in progress but it was all coming together nicely. 

Even though she had help from the selection of hires that she had recently interviewed, and her Vice President, Curtis Holt, she was drained. Being a young female in the business industry meant she had a lot to prove to the older and misogynic men. Well, not really. She had nothing to prove. She knew that she was an intelligent and kick - ass CEO. But if she wanted to do projects and mergers with other companies, she needed as little backlash from the men who had their fathers running their companies for generations that she could get.

Sometimes, Felicity had to scoff. It was said that women and men were treated equally -- yet, she was sure that she had to work harder to get Smoak Tech running than any other male lead corporation, just because she had an X and a Y chromosome. It was fucking ridiculous. 

And, speaking of fucking ridiculous, Oliver Jonas Asshat Queen had been interuppting her much needed sleep every single night since they had their little argument. If he was trying to get her to pack up her things and leave, he wasn't doing such a terrible job. 

The blonde had no fucking idea how a ghost who couldn't even touch anything in the house managed to cause so much racket. If he wasn't already dead, she would have killed him by now.

\--><\--

When Felicity got home, she hung her trench coat on the coat rack next to the door and toed her heels off haphazardly on the carpet.

'You know-', Oliver popped into the air besides her, and ignored her jump of surprise, '- I approve of the coat rack, I really do. But leaving your shoes out and just sprawled around is a safety hazard. Someone could trip on it and fall.'

Felicity groaned and massaged her temples. 'Who's going to trip on it, Oliver? You?' She gestured to his ghostly form.

Oliver's bottom lip jutted out in a pout. 'You're so ungrateful, Kit Kat. I'm only looking for what's in your best interest.'

'Don't call me Kit Kat!' Felicity hissed almost ferally. 'I'm not a chocolate bar with a wafer on the inside. And I somehow doubt you're looking after me, Asshat.'

'Don't call me Asshat.' The infuriating ghost countered. 'And yes, I am looking out for you. I know how accident prone you are.' He said teasingly, an all too smug smile stretching across his face. 

' _Accident prone_?' Felicity spluttered, completely scandalized. 'I am no such thing.' She walked to the bathroom with Oliver hot on her heels. As she pulled out her makeup removal wipes, Oliver continued to tease her.

'I'm just saying,' He continued, his legs crossed casually as he leaned his phantom figure against the bathroom door, 'It was only yesterday that you stumbled down the steps.'

'You saw that?' She asked, pausing mid face wash to meet his eyes in the mirror. Humor lit up his cobalt blue eyes.

'No', Oliver admitted. 'But, I suspected when I heard the noise. Thank you for confirming it, though.' 

Felicity rolled her eyes, and prayed that he passed the pink on her cheeks as blush. 'Asshat,' She mumbled, scrubbing the wipe over her eyes until her skin was red. She glared when the bags under her eyes became more apparent as her concealer washed away.

'What's wrong, Princess?' Oliver asked with an all-too-knowing grin.

'Do you see the fucking potholes under my eyes, Oliver?' Felicity asked, pointing to herself. 'You and your asshattery ways kept me up all night!' Oliver smirked wildly at her innuendo, and Felicity blushed brightly again. 'You know what I meant.' As highly attractive as Oliver was, she refused to even think about him in any sort of sexual or romantic way. No matter how pillowy his lips were, he was still a fucking moron. 

'Actually, I don't know what you mean. I don't remember being with you last night. Maybe you were dreaming about me?' The ghost suggested, his eyebrows arching too flirtatiously for her to handle. 

'Please, Oliver. If I ever dreamt about you, the only thing that happened was that you were brought back to life so I could throw my alarm clock at your mortifyingly enormous head.'

'Awww, did the little Kit Kat not get enough sleep last night?' Oliver mocked her, his teeth gleaming white as he smiled.

Felicity lunged for his phantom figure, only to be met with air, Oliver's deep laugh, and a tingling sensation in her fingers. 'Fuck you, Queen,' She cursed.

'Fuck you harder, Fun sized.' He said with a wink. Then he vanished, leaving a disgruntled and sleep - deprived Felicity in his wake. The genius threw her dirty makeup wipe into the sink, and examined her bags. She was going to need to buy some more makeup.

\--><\--

Felicity cracked one eyelid open to stare at the blaring neon green lights on her clock. 

_3:32 A.M._

She was going to fucking learn some necromancy and revive Oliver and then kill him again. She could _hear_ him singing from her bedroom -- singing... _Under the Sea?_

The blonde threw a pillow over her head in an attempt to muffle his ratchet voice. Well, actually he didn't sound half - bad, but she wasn't about to admit it. It was futile, though.

' _Under the sea! Under the sea! Darlin' it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from meeee_.'

'Why me? What did I do to deserve to do this?' Felicity moaned to herself. She was so tired and barely getting five hours of sleep everyday was not doing well for her boss - employee relationships. She would be snapping at her employees all day if this kept up.

' _Up on the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away, while we devotin', full time to_ -'

'SHUT THE HELL UP, OLIVER!' Felicity screeched. The singing stopped briefly. And then he started again, louder this time. 

Huffing angrily, Felicity pushed back her sheets and hopped out of her bed, stopping shortly to shove her glasses on her face. She stomped out of her room, purposefully making her foot falls heavy (and she made sure she kept her balance). When she arrived in the dim hallway, she carefully walked around. It was still dark out and the lights were off. Where was Oliver? 

She followed the sound of his voice. He was on the balcony, staring out at Starling City. As if he sensed her presence, he stopped singing. 

'What's the matter Fun - sized?' He asked, not bothering to look at her. Felicity stared at him for a moment. There wasn't a trace of amusement on his face despite him belting out The Little Mermaid soundtrack not even seconds ago. 

'You know, I've done a lot of illegal things in my time, Queen.'

They stood there in silence for a moment before Oliver turned to look at her. 'Oh?' His eyebrows quirked up teasingly. 'Care to expand?'

'Might have hacked six too many government agencies.' She shrugged lightly like it was no big deal. 'Might have wiped out my student loans in college. Might have altered the footage on a street camera so that they couldn't pin a ticket on my perfect record.'

'Might have, huh?' He chuckled lowly, the light of the moon casting them in a silvery glow. 'Those are oddly specific hypotheticals.'

'I suppose they are.' The blonde said indifferently. 'But, you know, I've never had the pleasure of adding the untimely death of my already dead douchebag of a roomate on that list.'

Oliver kept a serious face but his eyes scrunched together. 'Are you trying to rectify that?' He asked curiously, his fingers hovering over the balcony railing. Felicity couldn't help but notice how the moonlight made him look almost ethereal, his already ghostly physique seeming more transparent in the night.

'I don't know. I'm just a little peeved though.' She indicated with her fingers.

'You should get some sleep. Maybe that's why you're so grumpy' He said lightly, like he hadn't been the one keeping her up with the sudden release of his inner child who loved the Disney classics. It was all very cute - that if Oliver needed to annoy her he was singing songs sang by princesses and fairytale characters. Still, she didn't like him. He didn't like her. He was actively trying to get her off the property. So she didn't cave into his false innocence. Instead she fell back into her role of annoyed human.

'I _would_ be sleeping right now, if _SOMEONE_ hadn't began to wail the lyrics of _Under the Sea_ at 3 in the freakin' morning!' Felicity pointed her finger at him accusingly, her blonde hair flying wildly in the nighttime breeze. 'You may have ruined The Little Mermaid for me. My ears will never recover. There might even be internal bleeding from how out of tune you were and -'

Oliver chuckled. 'Alright, alright! I get it! You don't like my singing. But if I can't sleep, what else am I supposed to do?'

Felicity turned around and stalked off the balcony and back into the house. 'Not my problem.' The genius shrugged. 'But find something else to do. Something quiet. I could put on a movie for you.'

'Don't tell me what to do! You're not my mom.' Oliver called at her, almost in juvenile fashion. 'And now I'll just sing louder! Maybe I'll ruin another movie for you. Maybe this time I'll ruin... um...' He snapped his not - really - there fingers together, 'I'll ruin Frozen!'

As Oliver began to belt out _Love is an Open Door_ , Felicity shut the balcony doors behind her and locked it. 'Find someone else's door! I don't like you!' Her voice was muffled through the wood.

Oliver didn't reply, but he did bite back a smile.

\--><\-- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovely readers! I'm back again with another chapter for GITNOTG (what an odd acronym). I can't tell whose more sleep deprived at this point - me or Felicity. Maybe I'm projecting. It's hard to tell. I hope you guys enjoyed this week's chapter, and if you did, don't forget to comment or leave kudos! 
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> Also, I know school starts back for some of you guys, or work, so please. Make sure to wear a face mask and social distance. Keep yourself and your loved ones from being infected. Stay safe!


	4. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity goes out with some friends to Verdant. What could go wrong?

_**May 3rd, 8:34 P.M.** _

Despite the time that had passed, nothing had changed concerning the nature of Oliver and Felicity's relationship. They still bickered tremendously, and although Felicity was sleeping better, it was still a far stretch to say she wasn't sleep deprived.

Still, she was hauling ass out the door by 8:30. Sara had invited her for a night out at one of Starling's most popular clubs, Verdant. Verdant was owned by Tommy and someone named Thea that Felicity had yet to meet. It was nearing time for her to leave, so she quickly dug through her already messy closet and tugged out a pair of strappy black heels that paired well with her black leather pants and her midnight purple kaftan top, her shoulders peeking out in the slightest. She stuffed her phone, lip gloss, wallet, and car keys into her silver clutch before busting open her bedroom door.

Oliver was waiting for her in the kitchen, wearing gray sweat pants and a tight crew neck. 

Felicity eyed his toned body speculatively. 'I didn't know you could change your clothes in Ghostville,' She said. 'All I've seen you in is your jeans and henly.'

Oliver's jaw had dropped as he took in her club - ready outfit. 'And I didn't know you could dress up for something other than work and a date with Netflix. Where are you going?'

'Verdant.' She said absentmindedly, as her phone buzzed with an incoming text from Sara.

_Sara: Hurry up and get ur ass here. 8:36 P.M._

_Felicity: Leaving soon! Order me some wine. 8:36 P.M._

_Sara: You got it, babe. 8:36 P.M._

Felicity locked her phone, before turning back to Oliver who had a dumbstruck look on his face. 'Why do you look more confused than usual?' She snarked meanly.

'Verdant..' Oliver whispered, wringing his fingers together, ignoring her quip. 'You know who runs Verdant?'

'Tommy Merlyn.' Felicity answered. 'I'll be hanging out with him tonight.'

Oliver's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. 'How do you know Tommy?'

'He's dating Sara's sister.' The blonde said. 'How do _you_ know Tommy?' She asked, something close to suspicion lighting her tone. 

'Tommy was my best friend before I died. How is he doing now?' The ghost turned towards her eagerly, something close to excitement lighting in his blue eyes. 'Have you talked to him? Are you two close friends?' He gasped suddenly. 'Is he serious with his girlfriend?'

'Whoa, buddy, slow down there.' Felicity laughed, holding up her hands. 'I only met Tommy about two weeks ago, honestly, so we're not that close. And he's doing great. He's been dating Laurel for over a year and a half.' She couldn't help but think how surreal it was. Oliver had died, but she had managed to integrate herself into facets where he had once been. She almost felt a bit guilty for how she had been acting. The man was dead! What was the worst that could happen from being a little nice to him?

Oliver's smile lit up his whole face and for a moment, Felicity could have sworn his presence solidifed just a little. 'I know we're not the best of friends, Kit Kat -'

'Understatement.'

'- But, could you do me a favor?' He flashed his puppy dog eyes at her, his lips pouting adorably. 'Can you give Tommy a hug for me?'

Felicity immediatly softened. Oliver may be an asshat and may make her life a living hell but he was just as human as she, and he had all the emotions to prove it. She never really thought about how it must feel to be stuck between life and death, confined to one house without seeing your loved ones. It must have been pure torture.

'One favor. One.' She agreed. Oliver smiled widely and opened his arms and walked towards her. As he closed his arms around her, he phased through her body. Felicity gasped as a tingling sensation rushed through her entire body. It almost felt like a million tiny feathers were whispering against her skin, slight and barely there. She turned around to look at Oliver. 'You can't hug me, Oliver. You just go right through me.'

Oliver shrugged though, a big smile still on his face. 'You feel the tingles though, so you know I'm here.' 

Felicity blushed. 'That's true, I guess.' They stared at each other for a moment, his blue eyes boring into hers, and his fingers twitching by the side of legs where they rested. Felicity cleared her throat then, when it became too much. Stuffing her phone back into her clutch, she turned around and made a beeline to the door, only calling out to say; 'See you later!'

\--><\--

Verdant was already bouncing to the beat when Felicity arrived, and the bouncer let her in right away per request of Tommy. She was escorted by another employee to the bar, and on the way she took in the sight of the club. It was mainly an emerald green and black themed venue, but it had silver accents that caught the strobe lights perfectly with each rotation. The dance floor was bordered to the left by the V.I.P. area only, where she could already dozens of scantily clad women sprawled over the couches and tables. To the center was a large spiral staircase that seemed restricted if the red rope being held shut by a massive man was any indication to go by. And finally, the bar on the right was a wide hexagon, with green base lights under the counters and on the floor. A handsome boy who was probably in his late teens, early twenties was working the liquor, shaking and mixing the drinks like a pro. 

As soon as the man saw her, he began preparing a small shot for her. Felicity watched as he poured in a clear liquid that she assumed was vodka and a green mixer, and finally a touch of something strong looking. 'On the house.' He said over the loud bass of the music. 'Tommy said to look out for you.' Then the bartender held out his hand. 'If you're gonna be sticking around with our crew then you should know my name. Roy Harper.' He introduced, his black shirt rippling with definition as he moved.

'Felicity Smoak.' She grabbed his hand to shake it.

'I know, Blondie.' Roy grinned.

'Roy, if we're going to be friends then you can't call me Blondie.'

Roy only smirked and grabbed a glass from the rack and started to clean it with a black dishrag. ‘They’re waiting for you in the V.I.P. section.’ He nodded his head towards the elevated crest on the other side of the room. i When she craned her neck, she could vaguely make out Sara waving at her. 

‘Thanks, Roy.’ Felicity said. She grabbed the shot and downed it before shivering as the glands near her ear popped from the sour taste. ‘What did you put in that?’ The blonde choked. ‘Straight lime juice?’ 

‘Actually, lime juice is a huge part of it.’ Roy admitted. ‘It's our signature shot. It's green, like the color theme of the place.'

'And people actually pay money to drink that?' Felicity waved her arms around wildly in surprise. 'Did Tommy make it? I need to have words with him about the serious damage he could be subjecting our glands to.'

'When people are drunk, they drink anything that has alcohol in it.' Roy shrugged matter-of-factly. His blue eyes twinkled at her. 'But I'll take it to the boss that you don't approve.'

'Much appreciated, Roy.' She muttered, trying not to cough her shot back up. With a departing wave to Roy, she stumbled across the dance floor, grimacing when a few too many hands tried to pull her into friend circles and even grabbier hands tried to pull her back against them. Seductive dance music wasn't even playing -- so Felicity had no idea how people were trying to get their grind on with her. 

Making a final push through the host of swaying bodies, Felicity emerged on the other side in front of the V.I.P. section to see Sara, Tommy, Laurel, Nyssa, and another girl she hadn't met before already lounging comfortably around a cozy black velvet booth. She spotted a glass of wine - as promised- waiting in the middle of the circular table. When they saw her, they all swarmed her, clearly just a little tipsy from starting the booze - fest beforehand. Nyssa reached her first, and threw her arms around her carelessly, so unusual from her normal stoic demeanor. 

'Hello, little one!' She said loudly. 'We're so glad you could make it.' Felicity laughed and hugged her back. 

'Don't hog her!' Tommy complained before nudging his way out from behind the small, almost pixie like brunette with green eyes that Felicity had yet to meet. Felicity let out a low sound of amusement as Tommy pried Nyssa off of her and threw an arm around her shoulders. 'Smoaky!' He grinned. Felicity winced at the tone of his voice straight in her ear. 

'Merlyn.' She greeted. He pouted.

'I think we're past formalities, don't you think?' He winked at her teasingly. 'After all, spilling hot coffee over someone leaves room for improvement.'

Felicity's cheeks glowed a faint pink color. 'We don't need to bring up the past.' She said in an attempt to save herself, but Tommy wasn't having it.

'No, no! I had burn marks - from the scalding - straight from machine coffee that you spilled.' He exaggerated dramatically, his black hair askew. 

The blonde rolled her eyes, and looked up at him. 'That coffee had been sitting on my desk for nearly fifteen minutes before it ended up on your precious Armani shirt. It was cold'.

'Semantics.'

'Leave the poor girl alone, Tommy.' The small brunette flashed her a bright smile and stuck her hand out for Felicity to shake. 'Thea Queen,' She introduced.

Felicity felt her mouth turn to sandpaper, Tommy and Thea oblivious to her inner turmoil. 'Felicity Smoak.' She said, taking Thea's hand. Thea Queen. As in Oliver Queen? How many people had the last name Queen? It was no coincidence. It couldn't be. Tommy Merlyn - Oliver's best friend - hanging out with a Thea Queen? She wondered what the connection was. Thea was rather young - but there was always a chance... that they were married? 

No, Felicity decided. Too many identical facial features. Maybe they were cousins or siblings. She would ask Oliver later. It was only then that she realized she was still shaking Thea's hand like a complete crazy person. She snatched her hand back. 'Sorry!' Felicity exclaimed. 'That was weird wasn't it? I was holding your hand for a long time. Not -' She corrected herself, '- Not _holding_. Shaking. Shaking your hand. Because that's what you do when you meet someone you don't know.' What a trainwreck. 

Thea tilted her head and took in the babbling blonde. 'You're kind of adorable.' She concluded, her lips quirked upwards. 

'Felicity, hi!' Laurel descended from the booth next and wrapped her in a hug. Tommy and Thea deattached themselves from her. 'It's so nice to see you! I know we didn't do coffee yet but this seems as good an alternative as any.'

'Laurel, you might be the only sane one here.' Felicity muttered, keeping her eyes averted in order to stop herself from staring at Thea. Laurel chuckled. 

'I could have told you that. And I'm staying relatively sober tonight.' When she caught Felicity's confused expression, she added; 'Tommy and I switch out and do designated driver whenever we hang out with our friends. It's my turn tonight.'

'That's cute. Very couply.' Felicity approved. 'Equality in a relationship is always important.' 

'I don't know', Sara teased, a drink in her hand that was already half empty. 'I like it when Nyssa takes control sometimes.' She wiggles her eyebrows at her sister and her best friend. 'I think you two can catch my flow.' 

'Always so vulgar, little Lance.' Tommy said over her head. 'You have as little shame as I do.'

Sara laughed and wrapped her arm around Felicity's other side. 'Lis, I've seen you already met Roy.' At Tommy's disgruntled huff, Sara leaned in. 'Thea and Roy are dating. Tommy shows disapproval because Thea's like a sister to him but we all know that he would rather it be Roy than anyone else. And plus, Roy treats Thea like a goddess.'

Felicity swallowed her spit. 'Thea and Tommy are friends, though. Why does he treat her like a sister? He doesn't do that with you.' She tried fishing for information. 

It was Laurel who answered quietly, eyeing her significant other carefully. 'Uh, Tommy was best friends with this guy named Oliver.'

'Was?' She echoed.

'Oliver died a few years ago.' Sara whispered. 'Thea is Oliver's little sister. Since then, Tommy's taken her under his wing like she's his own sister. He looks out for her. When Oliver died they both took it really hard but they were there for each other.' 

'Tommy and I hadn't met yet.' Laurel said. 'He didn't know Sara, Nyssa, and I. So they only had each other. It made them really close. They're practically siblings.'

'But, -' Sara continued, swirling her drink around in her cup, '- On the anniversary of his death, they usually drive somewhere out of town and just hangout. We don't press, it's a sore topic for them both.'

Felicity disentangled herself from the sisters as Tommy called upon them to take a moment to process. First things, she wasn't going crazy. Oliver Queen was indeed a real person with real family and friends. And she had just met his sister - holy shit. And now she was hanging out with his best friend, too. 

She looked back at the two dark haired stunners. It was odd to think about it. While they were both laughing and having a good time now, it'd be stupid to think that the pain of losing a loved one ever truly went away. 

It didn't. 

She would know. After all, maybe her not seeing her father since she was 5 weren't the same circumstances, but it was similar nonetheless. 

It seemed almost _cruel_. Thea and Tommy were missing their brother and best friend respectively but she was talking to him everyday. Every single day. And they didn't know that there was link to him standing right next to them. It was a little surreal. 

Maybe she could do Oliver one more favor and give Thea a hug too. 

But then she was broken out of her thoughts as Sara thrusted her glass of wine into her hand. 'Drink up, Lis,' She ordered. 'You're behind. We've already had a drink or two by now.'

'I need to drunk to be honest.' She admitted, and Sara eyed her with surprise that was well - earned. 

'That's a first. Did something happen?'

'No.' She lied. 'I think I've just been so wound up with making sure everything runs smoothly at Smoak Tech that I need a little time to let loose.'

It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. There was no way to explain that a ghost was living in her new home, and that said ghost also happened to be best friends with Tommy and big brother to Thea. She had a bit of intuition telling her it wouldn't go well.

'Well you don't see me complaining.' Sara said. She turned to Tommy then. 'GET US A LINEUP OF SHOTS, MERLYN!' Sara hollered over the thrumming of the music. 'SMOAK'S GETTING SHITFACED TONIGHT!' 

Tommy let out a loud whoop and fist pumped into the air. 'I HEAR YOU LITTLE LANCE!' He grinned maniacally. 'ANNNNND', He stretched out the word in ways that made Felicity facepalm, 'WE'RE GETTING HER LAID TONIGHT!'

At his bold statement, the whole V.I.P. section cheered uncontrollably, a little too ferocious for not even knowing Felicity. She groaned into her hand. Wolf whistles met her ears and she felt herself flush in embarrassment. It was normal, that as a CEO, she would find herself in the spotlight. But no spotlight had ever been inspired by the encouragement of her sex life. 

Sara and Thea laughed loudly at her cringing away from the brashness. Maybe if she drank enough tonight, she'd forget about the whole ordeal.

\--><\--

Twelve A.M. saw Felicity with rose red cheeks after a round of quickly consumed drinks. The club had yet to die down -- the embarkment into the deeper night making the scene swell with definition. Or maybe it was the alcohol flooding her system. It was hard to tell when she could barely think straight. 

As she danced freely to the rhythm, she laid eyes on Tommy and Laurel. They were swaying together, eyes closed almost serenly -- and if it wasn't for the throng of people all around them that they managed to avoid bumping into, she would have said they were blissfully unaware. 

Sara was on top of the bar, completely topless. Nyssa - as far as she could see was standing next to her, trying to urge her down. Roy was ignoring them, a completely done expression marring his face. It was a expression that she wore too often. And Thea? Where was Thea?

Felicity took four steps before stumbling in her heels - heels. Heels were ridiculous. A torture contraption designed for altering the appearance of a woman. 

Well, no. Sober Felicity loved her heels, and they made her thighs look delicious. But Drunk Felicity could barely stand, and in that moment she hated them. Pausing for a moment to unbuckle the straps on her shoes, she pulled off the death traps on her feet and threw them in the direction of the V.I.P. booth. She sighed as her feet made contact with the bare ground. Perfection. 

Of course, she might have regretted it moments later when her feet were bruised by the multitude of heels and shoes stomping away carelessly. 

As she made her trek across the floor - still tripping over herself, a band of steel wrapped around her waist and pulled her back towards them.

She looked behind her, and _ugh_. Drunken men with no sense of boundaries were the worst thing to deal with. Felicity tried pulling herself from his grip - the nameless stranger that was pressing a little too close to her, but he didn't let up. He was blonde and his eyes were brown. 

'Excuse me.' She could hear the annoyance in her own voice. 'Can you let me go?'

When he leered at her, Felicity felt a stab of fear spike in her heart. 'You don't really want to go, sweetheart.' He crooned, his arm tightening around her. They were pressed flush together now, and she could hear her own heart beating over the bass.

'Yes, I do.' She insisted. She wrenched away from him, struggling to break his hold on her, but he only laughed roughly. He slotted himself behind her, and she could feel him - _all of him_ , press up against her. Still, better to play pliant. The blonde relaxed against him, dancing with him to the beat of the music almost persuasively. She could feel him harden behind her as she moved her hips alluringly, and she tried to push away the need to shudder in disgust. 

He laughed again, moving the arm banded around her waist upwards, so that it was fitted right under her breasts. The bile in her throat began to rise. 'See, sweetheart? You like it. You want it. You want me.' He pushed his lower half into hers. Her skin began to crawl, and she felt the need to scratch herself. Scratch the feel of this man off of her skin - off of her body. But still, she kept the cool facade on her, her drunken thoughts almost taking a backseat. 

'What's your name, handsome?' She asked him.

'Bryan.' His voice scratched unattractively. 

'Well, Bryan.' She said slowly. 'Can I tell you a secret?'

'Anything, beautiful.' He purred, running his free hand down the side of her leg.

Turning back to look at him, Felicity smiled devilishly, completely opposite to how she felt. 'I think that if we're going to go a step further tonight -'

'Many steps further,' He said, innuendo clear in his voice. 

'-Then you need to take some classes on how to be a real fucking man.' She sassed fiercely. Bryan stopped his grinding. 'Real men don't need to force someone to have sex with them - that's rape, you sick psychopath. Learn the meaning of consent before talking to me.'

'YOU FUCKING BITCH!' He pushed her away from him, only to grab her arm tightly, his face one of pure fury. Felicity let out a small yelp at his tough grip. 'I'll show you what it means to be a real man when you're choking on my -'.

He was interrupted by Felicity swinging her leg up suddenly, making contact with his... intimate areas. When he lost his hold on her and howled loudly, Felicity flashed a smug smile at him.

_Good_. 

She hoped his balls were black and blue. And she wished she hadn't taken off her heels, so that she would have had more of an impact. 'YOUR MOTHER DIDN'T PUSH YOU OUT OF HER VAGINA JUST SO YOU COULD FORCE YOUR DICK INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S!'

By now, the dance floor had started to clear and she and Bryan - who, was keeling over holding family jewels protectively- were standing in the center of attention. Tommy, Sara, Roy, Laurel, and Nyssa all reached her, Roy and Tommy pushing her back behind them defensively.

'Are you okay, Lis?' Sara asked, placing a comforting arm on her shoulder. 'He didn't hurt you, did he?'

Felicity vaguely noticed the DJ shutting down the music, and her skin still felt... dirty. She would need a bath or two when she got home. Still, she played it off for her friends' sake.

'I'm fine, guys.' The genius promised, hoping she didn't look as shaken as she felt. Tommy's usually carefree demeanor was now stone cold, and there was an ice in his blue eyes that made him look scary. One hand thrust out to keep her and the other girls behind him, and one pointed at the criminal on the floor, he was seething. 

'Get the fuck out of my club,' Tommy said, rage settling on his features. 

Bryan groaned and curled up into a ball. 'It wasn't me! It was that blonde bitch!' He defended, gesturing towards Felicity. 'She was asking for it!'

All around her, people held up their phones, and the lights were flashing. They were taking videos. 

Roy laughed darkly. 'I've already called the cops, and they'll be here in a minute. Don't try to lie in court, because this club has security footage. And there isn't any one of us who won't testify on Felicity's behalf.'

As if on cue, the club doors busted open, and two cops led the charge. One was Quentin Lance; Laurel and Sara's father. The other was Detective McKenna Hall.

When Lance's eyes landed on his daughters, he let out a sign of relief after scanning them - and finding no injuries. 'Is everyone alright?' He eyed them all up and down, and finally down to Bryan who was on the floor still. 

'We're fine, Dad.' It was Laurel who spoke. 'But this guy,' She indicated to Bryan with disgust littered all over her face, 'Tried to force himself on Felicity.'

Lance looked over their group and stopped on Felicity. 'Ms. Smoak? Are you alright?' He asked kindly, his gruff voice softening a little. 

'I'm fine, Captain Lance, thank you.' The blonde flashed him a look to enunciate her gratefulness. 'He tried to... I was walking across the dance floor and he pulled me to him and when I tried leaving.. he...' She broke off.

'Wouldn't let you go?' Lance finished gently, almost as if he was speaking to a cagey animal. Felicity nodded, a little ashamed -- and logically, there was no reason for her to be.

'So I uh, pretended to go along with it and then i kicked him.'

Tommy, Roy, and Lance winced. 'I WANT A FUCKING LAWYER.' Bryan spit at her. 'I'm not letting this bimbo get me in trouble for something I didn't even do!'

'You could be charged with sexual assault, as you didn't take your hands off of her when she asked you to, you filthy fuck,' Tommy said, disdain directed at Bryan. He glared the man down for a few moments before turning back to Lance. 'I can get you the security footage if you need it.' The billionare assured him. 

'That would certainly help.' Lance agreed. 'But for now, put him in handcuffs.' He ordered. McKenna had the silver pair out and shackling Bryan faster than Felicity could blink. 'You can come into the station anytime you're ready, Ms. Smoak.' He said. 

Felicity nodded her head, and then they were out. 

'I want to go home.' Felicity said a bit hollowly. It was all bravado when it was happening, and it was fine putting on a facade when it came to push and shove. But the reality that someone had touched her without her expressed consent was... icky and unsettling. She felt violated and raw. She felt like her personal boundaries had been breached so uncomfortably. It was scary to think about what could have happened. If he had caught her on the way to the bathroom where there were less witnesses. Or if she had been in an alleyway, where the takedown could have been easier. 

'Of course, Lis.' Sara said quietly, putting a protective arm around her best friend. 'Nyssa and I will take you home.'

The partygoers were now mumuring to themselves, phones still out to catch the commotion on camera. 'HEY!' Roy shouted. 'Show's over, everyone! Verdant's closed for the rest of the night, so please exit through the front door!'

As complaints of annoyance were thrown in the air, Felicity couldn't help but feel bad. The world didn't revolve around her. 'You don't have to do that.' She muttered. 'I'm going home anyways, you can still host tonight.'

Tommy shook his head, though. 'Nah. Rapist and people who sexual assault always kill the vibe.' He sneered. But when he turned to look at her, his expression became soft. 'If you need anything, give Laurel and I a call, okay, Smoaky?' 

'Thea and I, too.' Roy piped up.

Felicity smiled weakly. 'Thank you, guys, really. But I'm fine.' Her friends exchanged skepitcal looks though, that made her temper flare a bit. It made her feel frail, and she didn't like that. 'And I brought my own car. I can drive myself home.'

Roy snorted through his nose. 'I don't think so, Blondie. You've had a lot of drinks tonight. I wouldn't let you drive home alone even if what just happened hadn't happened.' That made her feel a bit better. 

'Okay, fine.' The genius acquiesced reluctantly. She said her goodbyes to Laurel and Roy. Thea had appeared unexpectedly, just in time to say goodbye. And suddenly, remembering her promise to Oliver seemed more important than it had been. Felicity pulled Tommy and Thea into a group hug, catching them off guard, but it wasn't unpleasant. They crushed her back to them, and it felt nice. She didn't know them well but she would like to. 'He would be proud of both of you.' She found herself whispering, a slip of the tongue that she hadn't filtered.

They both pulled back from her, confused looks on their faces as she made her departure, Sara and Nyssa on either side of her. But still, she knew that deep down they knew who she was talking about.

\--><\--

Nyssa and Sara had dropped her off inside of her condo, and had made her promise to call if she needed anything at all, to which she had agreed. Oliver hadn't been present when she walked in, which was fine. She had dropped everything, leaving a trail of clothes behind her carelessly. And then she had stepped into the shower and twisted the settings knob to the hottest setting possible. She wondered if it were possible to burn the feeling of someone's hands off of her. 

She scrubbed herself down with bodywash once, twice, three times. She could feel the sticky feeling of his hand running down her leg, and his body pressed up into her. 

Felicity shuddered, and let the tears that had been stinging behind her eyes blink away. That digusting excuse of a human didn't deserve her tears. He wouldn't get to make her cry. She wiped her eyes, and turned off the shower, toweling herself off before shrugging on a ratty pair of sweats and her old Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. She opened the freezer and pulled out a carton of mint chip icecream - it seemed like the night for comfort food. Then she clicked on the TV -- and she wanted to groan audibly when her face was plastered over the local news. The headlines were reading: SMOAK TECH'S CEO SEXUALLY HARASSED AT VERDANT.

She hated being in the limelight. 'You have got to be kidding me.' She murmured lowly. 'The press is going to have a field day with this!'

'The press is going to have a field day with what?' Oliver asked on point, materializing out of no where. He looked as he always did, scruffy hair and lively blue eyes, while his overall form was slightly wispy. He phased through the sofa to sit next to her, the carton of ice cream serving as a line between them. 

Which was odd of her to even think about. They didn't need lines. He was literally a freaking ghost. 

They were both silent as the news anchor - Bethany Snow - summarized the night's events.

' _Smoak Technologies CEO, Felicity Smoak was attacked tonight while out with her group of friends at the popular nightclub, Verdant in the Glades, owned by Tommy Merlyn. Eye witnesses say that Ms. Smoak was sexually assaulted by an intoxicated partygoer.'_

Oliver's jaw had dropped and Felicity tried hard not to wince.

_'One of Verdant's employees called the cops. Head detective; Quentin Lance arrived on the scene and arrested the alleged attacker. Ms. Smoak was then escorted home by two of her companions.’_

Felicity tried not to let her grimace show, but she knew she was failing. She took a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and swallowed. The slide showcasing Bethany Snow transitioned into another reporter outside of Verdant, where, in spite of the time, was unusually quiet. Despite Oliver’s persistent ability to annoy her halfway to hell, he was a decent guy and she wished in that moment that she could wish him away. 

_‘Someone sexually harassed you tonight?’_ Oliver’s usual deep bass went up a few octaves in his shriek. 

Felicity winced again. ‘It’s nothing to worry about.’ She attempted to reassure him. ‘I kicked him in the family jewels and the number’s still out for whether his ability to have kids is feasible,’ She joked. 

He was not amused. 

His ghostly form sprung up from the couch and floated around the couch a few times before stopping in front of her. ‘I-‘, He started and then huffed before pacing some more.

’Felicity, I -‘, He grumbled once more. He sighed and ran a transparent hand over his face. ‘Are you okay, fun-sized?’

The tone of his voice was so soft and understanding that it took Felicity aback with surprise. She hadn’t know that Oliver... _cared_. ‘I’m fine.’ The blonde insisted. ‘And I took care of it. I’m not a helpless typical-fairytale damsel in distress that needs rescuing.’ Her hands flailed wildly. 

‘I never said that you were. I’m well aware that you can hold your own in an altercation - physical or verbal,’ Oliver grinned a bit wryly at his own words. ‘But you don’t have to be okay. Situations like that can be scary, regardless of whether or not you handle it. It’s okay to not be okay.’ He said, his usual sarcastic tongue gone. 

Felicity tried not to stare at him in awe. He was so.... unbelievably perfect in this moment. She didn't like it when people coddled her. After her father had took his untimely leave of absence, her mother had hovered over her, and it got rather maddening at times. It was difficult to try to forget about someone when the constant reminders were always coming back full force to hit her. She didn't resent her mother - no. 

Donna Smoak was, _well_ , a character at any rate. She was so unlike Felicity that it was hard to believe that they had even lived under the same roof for 17 years. Felicity felt guilty sometimes. Donna had tried her best given the circumstances, and she had tried to be the mother she thought her daughter had needed after the tremendous loss of her father leaving. It was even harder for her to fathom how her mother could handle it. Felicity had never seen her shed a tear, although logically she knew there must have been some. Her childhood hadn't been all sunshine and rainbows but her mother had worked damn hard to make it so. 

But, it still hadn't stopped the whole situation - her mother's overbearingly close proximity included - from making her increasingly irritated. 

And she didn't know why she said it, but she couldn't help herself. 'What are you gonna do about it if I'm not alright?' Felicity laughed bitterly. 'You can't console me, verbally or physically.' She tried to stop her cheeks from flaring up in color at the implications of her words. 'You don't even like me.'

Oliver sighed, 'That may be true but I would never wish that type of fate on anyone. Not even you, Felicity.' The ghost sat back down next to her and they were quiet then. The rustling of the trees outside accompanied their silent voices and loud thoughts. They didn't say anything.

As Felicity's eyes began to shutter slowly, Oliver looked at her sadly. He wouldn't want anyone to go through anything as traumatic as she had. Felicity slumped down over the arm of the couch - and really, it was a shame that he couldn't put that carton of finished ice cream in the garbage for her. Still, he ghosted his flickering arm over her slumbering head, and hoped that the faint tingles his body protruded was enough to lull her into a nightmare-less sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIII! I'm back again with another chapter of GITNOTG. I hope you guys liked it, it was a rather long chapter. 
> 
> I felt this was important to address because rape and sexual assault is a problem that is too often overlooked. If someone says they were a victim of rape or sexual assault, say something! People rarely lie about those things, and no one ever deserves the violation of their own body. Women are often victims and are silenced by the patriarchy for "wanting attention". And of course, another thing that is not brought up often enough is that men are victims as well! Rape and sexual assault is not gender specific to females. It happens to males as well!! Please, this is such an important thing to learn about and know! I cannot stress enough how often people are overlooked when they say it happens to them. Stay safe guys! And remember, a victim never asked to be raped. No one ever asks to be raped. 
> 
> On a lighter note, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I love you all, and continue to stay safe during this pandemic! Don't forget to stay safe and leave kudos!  
> Happy reading! <3


	5. Door Number Unexpected

_**May 4th, 10:04 A.M.** _

It was just past ten o'clock, and Oliver couldn't help but notice that Felicity was still deeply asleep. The ice cream carton from the night before had been unwittingly kicked off the couch when she had stretched her body out from her contorted and somewhat vulnerable position. Her hair was flung over the side of the couch, and in her sleep, Oliver thought she looked so... young. 

Not to say that she had looked old before - but there was a type of innocence in her that he often didn't see when she was awake and flinging an assortment of profanities at him. It was odd that she was even asleep. Felicity was always awake at 7 A.M. on the dot everyday, regardless of whether or not she had the day off. Her punctuality in any situation was something he begrudgingly admired, a quality he hadn't picked up in his actual life. He couldn't tell if she was sleeping because she had drunk too much liquor, or because the trauma of the previous night's events had worn her down. Personally, he thought it was a combination of both. 

Oliver knew Felicity wouldn't appreciate his (or anyone's) fretting over her, he had caught that much in his time with her, but he was secretly worrying. Felicity, for all her 5'4 glory was still small and anything could happen. He wasn't so heartless to not care about her wellbeing even if he _did_ keep her up at night singing Disney classics. He wasn't her friend or her boyfriend. Hell! He wasn't even her acquaintance, but he was sure that the protective instinct only jumped in because he got to see her when she was unguarded.

He was broken out of his thoughts when Felicity began to stir, and she tossed and turned on the couch before her eyelids started to flutter. Oliver popped out of her sight, and watched as she rubbed her bleary eyes and groaned at the bright light that the open windows were filtering in from the morning sun. He tried not to let his chuckle slip when she arched her back and the bones popped in a satisfying sound. And then he was momentarily distracted when her shirt rode up, and a sliver of her midriff was exposed to the naked eye. It was smooth and soft looking - the shade almost porcelain-like. He hoped he wasn't drooling.

Not that he would be or anything. Of course not. There was no way in hell he found Felicity Smoak of all people attractive in any way possible. Well, there were always exceptions. Like- when it rained and she went outside and tilted her head up to the sky so the faintest of raindrops splashed on her face -- she reminded him of deity then. Or when she just woke up and was drinking her coffee before morning rush started. Or even when she was yelling at him and her eyes were blazing with fury and amusement - and something he had yet to name. But, no. He did _not_ think she was attractive in any way. 

Even so, his lips ticked up when she looked around in confusion - no doubt wondering why she was on the couch rather than in her bed. He wished one of her friends had stayed over, just to keep an eye on her and make sure she was okay - even though he knew it was probably her own refusal that had left her in the lone company of a ghost.

'Oliver?' Felicity called out tentatively as she let her hand travel through her bed-headed blonde hair (which, if he were being completely honest, was endearingly charming).

He waited a few seconds and then casually popped onto the armrest opposite of the one she was resting on. 'Good morning, Kit-Kat!' He sang, taking only a minuscule pleasure from the way she winced.Ah. He was sure that hangover was hitting her quite nicely. If he were a more caring person and well... alive and able to touch things, he would have brought her an aspirin and some water. 'I'll admit', He continued, 'It is a bit out of the norm for you to be waking up so late, but I feel like after last night's transgressions, you earned some extra shut-eye.' Oliver tries not to laugh when she bristles annoyedly. 'If it were a regular weekday, I would have preached over you taking a day off from work.' 

"I wouldn't have listened,' Is what the blonde says firmly, as though she's made her personal mission to avoid any piece of advice Oliver could give her.

Oliver clucks his teeth together. 'I know,' He croons, floating off his perch and nestling next to her on the couch, running a wispy hand along her hair. When she shivers slightly, his teeth flash. 'Which is why I'm glad it's a Saturday and you have no boring obligations to attend to.'

'Smoak Tech is not boring.' Felicity is rather fired up on the spot, clearly not appreciating Oliver's degrading of her moon-child. 

Oliver decides to ignore that particular avenue - god knows that he wasn't cut out for the corporate empire- and decides to move back slightly. He had gotten so used to irritating her with his whole tingly sensation-ghostly touch mojo that he had forgotten all about boundaries. And he was trying to respect those. 'I'm sorry.' He apologizes. 'I didn't mean to crowd your personal space like that.'

'You're not actually touching me.' She points out not incorrectly. 

'It's the principal of the matter.' He says. 'I have a little sister, you know.' He doesn't notice when her eyes widen slightly at his words. 'If anyone touched her without her consent, they might find themselves with a broken bone or five.' The ghost shrugs and his wispy shoulders almost seem to smoke with the sudden movement. 

'Speaking of your little sister, I actually met her last night.' Felicity says slowly, seemingly trying to gauge his reaction with every word. He isn't upset, though. Surprisingly he's beaming. Like full-on, wide grinning, face flushed happily. 

'You did?' Oliver asked excitedly. He props himself up straighter, eager for the details. 'How is she? How does she look? Is she happy? Healthy?' 

Felicity's eyebrows furrow and then they return back to normal so quickly he's sure he imagined it. 'Thea is great! She's beautiful - unlike her big brother, if I do say so'. (Oliver promptly rolls his eyes). 'She and Tommy are really close, which is something I'm sure you're glad to hear. According to Laurel and Sara - he sort of adopted her as his pseudo sister after you passed.' She hesitates then and Oliver can't help but feel a sense of urgency wash over him. He _has_ to know. He's gone so long without any way of knowing what's happening to his family - unable to leave the house or turn on a TV or anything. It's exhausting to be so far yet so close at the same time. Felicity is the only link he has to the real world - to the people he loves. 

'Well don't hold back on me now, Smoak.' Oliver is half pleading at this point - and the desperation in his voice leaks out because she relents. 

'Every year, on the anniversary of your death, they road trip together. They travel for a while and no one knows where they go. It was hard for both of them at first. It still is.'

Oliver feels cold - which is saying something because as a ghost he doesn't feel things. ‘Oh’, He breathes out. He laces his fingers nervously. ‘I didn’t realize that it would be so hard.’ 

Her expression turns sad then. ‘Why wouldn’t it be hard? You were Tommy’s best friend and Thea’s big brother.’ 

He embarrassingly admits; ‘Tommy and I were partners in crime in every sense of the world - whether it be through school or with being each other’s wingman with the ladies.’ Oliver’s lip ticks up. ‘The first time we got drunk it was because we had raided our father’s cellars. We both got grounded for a week after that.’ Felicity smiles. ‘But it sounds like Tommy is doing good for himself. He’s in a stable and steady relationship - which is more than what he was doing before. He’s running Verdant, too. And I loved Thea but I wasn’t the best role model growing up. I partied often and I got wasted. Racked up a few misdemeanors. I wasn’t around when I should have been. It was only when I started getting my act together that I felt like I could be the older brother she deserved, but then I died.’

He can tell that she’s shellshocked at his impromptu emotional speech. Her hand flexes above his back, before she pulls away entirely. Somehow that makes him sadder. 'Oliver I - I really believe you're wrong.' Her big blue eyes stare into his with an alarming amount of conviction. 'Regardless of how careless you might have been in your youth doesn't mean that things worked out for the better.'

'Tommy and Thea are doing so much better than before.'

Felicity shakes her head so hard that Oliver is worried for the state of her neck. 'Your death was... a catalyst for lack of a better word... for them growing up. It forced them to change and grow up. That's not a bad thing but I think that when you started growing up too, you were influencing those around you as well.' She smiles at hi gently, although he can tell she's deeply troubled by his admission. 'You can't pin all that guilt on yourself, Oliver. Besides, it's hard to know that they're suffering, isn't it?'

Oliver clicked finger guns at her, hoping to alleviate some of the heavy from their conversation. 'You got me there.' He joked. Felicity grinned and let it go. But... that left room for another difficult discussion. 'How are you feeling, Kit-Kat?' He prodded.

It wasn't hard to see when she let her walls be erected once more. Her face turned dark immediatly. 'I'm fine.' She snapped. 'I don't need you to hover, Oliver.'

'I'm not hovering, I just feel like I have the right to be worried.' Oliver explained slowly. 'You went through something traumatic. I just want to make sure you're okay.' Felicity huddled closer to her end of the couch, away from him and she glared at him, eyes on fire with passion.

'Why do you even care, Oliver? You're not my boyfriend or my friend -' Oliver winced, -and you don't even like me. You don't have the right to be _anything_.' Her hard gaze stared him down defiantly. 

Oliver sighed. He knew what she was doing - lashing out to to avoid talking about what had happened, something he completely understood and done a few times himself. 'Just be careful next time, okay? There are always creeps around. Stay safe. Hire a bodyguard if you have to. I know no one would really suspect anything with you being a CEO, anyways.'

Felicity deflated as he submitted. 'Oh god!' She groaned, burying her face in her hands dramatically. 'Cameras caught the whole thing! From Bryan entering the club to his arrest and my departure home. Going to work is going to be hell, now!'

Oliver felt a surge of anger flow through him. It was hard to believe that just a name... _Bryan_... could elict such a savage reaction from him. He was seeing red and it filled every corner of his body. He swore that if he ever saw Bryan, he the sheer force of his will would make him materialize just so he could break the man's nose. Or.... other parts. _But_ , putting aside violent notions, he said, 'I could recommend a bodyguard for you. His name is John Diggle.' At her inquisitive look he explained, 'John was my bodyguard. He was very loyal and trustworthy and I wouldn't recommend you someone who wasn't. He could push off the paparazzi for you with no hassle.'

Felicity sighed. 'I don't want a babysitter following me 24/7. It's a complete invasion of privacy and I don't want to be seen as a damsel in distress.'

'I don't think anyone would ever see you as a damsel in distress, Felicity.' He wished he could hold her hand or make _some_ sort of gesture of comfort. 'You fended off that guy pretty well without help.' He leaned in closer and flashed a smile. 'And besides, everyone knows that women are the superior gender anyways. If a man can't accept that it's because he's too afraid of them to even give them a semblance of power. Admitting that women are intelligent and powerful makes everything too real.' He addressed her earlier complaint, 'You can assign hours to John. He doesn't have to stay with you or anything. You can have him around during the workday.'

'I suppose. What did you say his name was, again?'

'John Diggle. He works at a company called Shield Incorporated. It's a security company that's based in Starling.'

'Thanks, Oliver.' Felicity said, a slightly surprised look gracing her small features. Almost as if she was questioning his willingness to help her. Oliver winked playfully before vanishing before her eyes, hoping she took his advice.

\--><\--

Oliver was standing in the upstairs balcony when he heard the brass doorbell ring and echo throughout the condo. Felicity hadn't said anything about inviting anyone over, and he doubted she even wanted company right now. Since this morning, she had only snacked here and there and worked on what she had said was a project proposal for a merger with a neighbouring company. He couldn't help but wonder if it was Queen Consolidated. It wasn't out of the realm of possibilities, as QC, Merlyn Global, Palmer Tech, Kord Industries, and Smoak Tech all ran in the same high - class circles (although if he didn't know, he wouldn't have suspected Felicity was as rich as the rest of the tight-lipped and snobby upperclass). 

He traveled downstairs to the door and appeared besides Felicity, who was hesitating to open the door. 'Can they see you?' She asked, her voice quiet as she grabbed the door handle. 

'Not unless I want them to.' He assured her.

'Okay.' She said slowly. 'Before I let them in, I guess you should know that behind the door is Tommy.'

Oliver felt his unbeating heart freeze in shock. The stupid question was on the tip of his tongue, he just needed to make sure -'Tommy Merlyn?'

She didn't reply with the sarcastic quip he had been expecting, but instead she put her hand on his transparent shoulder. He could see the moment the tingles ran through her body from the way she drew in a breath. 'If it's too much for you, we can go to a coffee shop instead. I don't mind.' Her bright eyes were searching his. 

Oliver felt his fingers began to rub together in a nervous tick - something he hadn't done in years because as a ghost, he had nothing to be nervous about. Still, he steeled his spine and looked at her in determination. 'It's fine. You can let me in.'

The doorbell sounded again but Felicity ignored. 'Anytime it gets too hard, let me know, okay?'

'Okay.' The blonde ghost agreed. 

As the genius turned to open the door, Oliver got himself situated by the kitchen island. Tommy came tumbling in with a bag of what looked like a bottle of wine in one hand. 'Smoaky!' He grinned, wrapping Felicity up in a big hug. He watched as she reciprocated and the slightest touch of irritation sparked in him - he didn't know why. 

'What are you doing here, Merlyn?' Felicity asked, accepting the bottle of wine he was holding out to her. 'I didn't know you were coming over.'

'Well, I felt that it was a gentleman's duty to check up on one of his partygoers- and friends,' Tommy emphasized with a pointed look. 'I just wanted to make sure you were okay so I got your address from Sara and Nyssa.'

'Because that's not creepy at all.' Felicity said sarcastically, her head tilted -adorably-. She brought the wine to the island where he was standing a pulled down two glasses from the cabinents. As she unscrewed the bottle and poured the wine, Oliver took a moment to inspect his best friend. He wasn't clean-shaven anymore like he used to be, but he was still handsome. His eyes still twinkled the mischevious blue they always had and he seemed... more aware.

When he had been alive, he and Tommy had been in and out of clubs and parties, always getting drunk or high. But now, Tommy seemed alert. It was odd. He looked good, though.

Tommy laughed nervously. 'I'll admit, it was a bit of a bombshell hearing that you live here.' His eyes wandered the room hungrily. Oliver felt his head snap up and Felicity looked like a deer-in-headlights.

'Why is that?' She asked, her hand shaking slightly as she poured the deep maroon liquid into the glass. 

'I had this really good friend. He was actually my best friend and I will live by that statement till the day I die. He used to live here.' Oliver began to float into view. He just wanted to pop up and bring Tommy in for a hug. 'His name was Oliver. You actually met his sister last night, Thea'

'Oh.' Felicity handed a glass to Tommy and then took a large gulp from her own. If he wasn't so fixated on his best friend right now, he'd scold her. Wine was meant for slow sipping, not frat-party chugging. The blonde licked her lips pensively. 'Sara and Laurel were telling me about him. I didn't know he used to live here.'

'Yeah. Ollie had them build this place from scratch. It was his baby, you know.' Tommy sat himself down on a kitchen stool. 

Felicity flashed a subtle wink in Oliver's direction. 'Ollie, huh?' Oliver blushed.

'Yeah.' The billionare seemed unaware of her attention divert. 'He died a few years ago. I haven't been back to this house since then. I couldn't handle it.'

'Oh, Tommy. I'm so sorry.' She said genuinely. Oliver watched as she gripped his hand over the island. 'What was he like?'

Tommy's lips quirked up. 'I love the guy, but don't get me wrong. He was a bit of an asshat.' Oliver let out an outraged gasp that sent Felicity into a fit of giggles.

'A bit on the nose, don't you think?' Oliver's nose crinkled as he said it. Felicity didn't acknowledge it but he knew she heard from the way her body shook.

'Wow, Merlyn. Haven't you heard to not speak ill of the dead?' 

He grinned wryly. 'If Ollie were here, he would agree with me.'

'I most certainly do not agree with you, Tommy.' Oliver argued to his best friend who couldn't even hear or see him. 

'Sucks to suck, doesn't it?' Felicity challenged him brazenly. And then her eyes widened. 

'Dumbass.' Oliver snorted and she glared.

'What did you say?' Tommy looked confused, looking around for anyone else. 

'Nothing!' She squeaked out. 'I was just talking to myself. You know us CEOs,' She pointed to her head, 'Always thinking. I get a little crazy sometimes.'

' _Sometimes_?' Tommy and Oliver said in unison, making the latter grin. It was good to know that even death couldn't manage to decimate best friend- synchronicity.

'Shut up.' Felicity snapped. Oliver quietly wondered how such a small thing could hold so much anger. It was probably best if he didn't say that aloud, though. 'And anyways, I have a question about Oliver, if it's not too foward.' At Tommy's encouraging nod, she continued. 'How did he die?'

Tommy stiffended then, his fingers wrapping around the stem of his glass tightly. 'Well, they found Ollie in the upstairs balcony. When the pathologist did the autopsy, they didn't see any signs of force or stress on his body. There was no poison in his system either. There was no indication of an outsider hitting him or anything. Whatever happened to him was inside his body.' He said it almost ominously. 

'And? Did they found out what it was?' Oliver found himself leaning closer too. He didn't have the faintest clue to how he died.

Tommy shook his head. 'Before the rest of the results were disclosed, Moira and Robert had the case shut and they never said another word about it. I don't even think Thea knows about what happened. They were really tight-lipped about it. We never knew what happened after that.'

Oliver saw Felicity's lips move but he wasn't listening. His parents had known what had happened but they hadn't revealed it to anyone - not even to their own daughter. He wondered why they kept it a secret. But he hadn't been killed so he didn't understand what the problem was. There couldn't have been anything to hide. Could there?

'Did anything else happen?' The blonde prodded. 

Tommy said hesitantly, 'After that, the pathologist who did it; his name was Jeff James, was reported missing. They never found his body or anything, so no one knows what happened to him either. He just disappeared off the face of the Earth. There's speculation, of course. People think he's dead. It certainly put a lot of spotlight on the Queen's and they weren't too pleased. 'But-' He said hastily after seeing the look of disbelief on her face, '-I don't think Moira and Robert are guilty of anything. I've known them my whole life and they're good people.'

Oliver stared dumbstruck. There was no way it was coincidental that James had disappeared shortly after the reports of his autopsy had been locked down and kept private. There was no way. And he could tell from the look on Felicity's face, she was thinking the same thing.

\--><\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello my dear readers! i nearly forgot to post today, i admit. school will be starting soon and i hope for all of you returning, that you are safe. wear a mask!  
> i hope you all enjoyed this chapter and don’t forget to leave kudos and comments.   
> happy reading :)


	6. Enter John Diggle

May 10th, 7:47 P.M.

Felicity rushed out of the Smoak Tech parking lot, throwing her candy apple red Mini Cooper into a reckless reverse as she backed out of her parking lot. She was late.

Which was weird because if there was one thing Felicity Smoak prided herself on - it was being punctual. But as it so happened, she and her team were in the midst of a time-sensitive project that could either make or break their reputation. She had lost track of time. Curtis and Caitlin and Alena had all been working overtime for the past few months in the final prep for their presentation to the board and the Executives at their neighboring companies - Merlyn Global, Queen Consolidated, and Palmer Tech. Of course, it did help that she was already friends with the CEO of Palmer Tech.

She and Ray Palmer had met many years prior back when they were in high school and they had been quick friends. They spoke the same language and were more often than not considered outliers by their peers for being so advanced in their studies. It had been a while since they had last seen each other but they had not parted on bad terms. She hoped that this personal tie boosted her up. Still, she knew she couldn't rely on it. 

But she pushed those things from her head as she made way for the security company Oliver had recommended - Shield Incorporated. She had no idea how she was going to spin this tale - how was she even going to make up a reason for knowing John Diggle? She couldn't exactly tell them that a freaking ghost had told her to seek him out for protection. 

Felicity broke a few speed limits on the way there, but nothing that couldn't be remedied with a few computer clicks. Lord knows her spotless record was not going to be tainted by speeding of all things. 

As she pulled up to the silver skyscraper, Felicity had to marvel at the implications. How often was it that someone really needed protection? Was it so often that this business needed what looked to be over sixty floors worth of employees and bodyguards? Black tie was scary in hindsight, when you heard about labs and agencies that stole you from under the safety of your bed only to never be heard of again. But if this John Diggle was as outstanding as Oliver had said, she trusted him (to some extent). Oliver wouldn't play around with her safety like that - especially after how he had reacted to her being sexually assaulted. 

Felicity stepped out of the car and pushed the rotating doors in and took a sharp breath. The interior of the building was... beautiful. The walls were completely gray finished with a silver sheen that - when in the light made the paint look metallic. Their was a big and grand chandelier centered into the ceiling, and the light seemed to radiate from every corner. There was a wide U desk on the left where a man in a suit sat, a clipped piece attached to his ear. 

She brushed her hair out of her eyes, hoping that she didn't look too frazzled after a long work day. 'Hello,' She approached the man, and he looked up from the computer monitor that was hooking onto a corded hook on the desk. 

'Hello, Ms. Smoak,' He said pleasantly. 'Mr. Diggle is expecting you. If you go straight down to the elevators, take the lift to the 14th floor, you'll find his office on the first left. Just fill out this form and take a visitors badge.' At her questioning look, he clarified, 'As a security based company we take security precautions very seriously. And that includes knowing who enters and exits the building.' He gave her a wry smile. 'It'd be very counter-productive if we didn't have something to make a good first impression.'

'The builiding itself was intimidating enough.' Felicity assured him as she scrawled her signature over the form quickly. 'What's your name?'

'Brandon Wallace.' He introduced, holding a dark hand for her to shake. She shook his hand and passed the clipboard back to him. 

Well, thank you, Mr. Wallace. I'll be seeing you around.' She said, as she hovered away from the desk.

'Anytime, Ms. Smoak.' He waved cheerily at her and then refocused on his computer.

Brandon Wallace was a nice guy, she couldn't help but muse to herself. Oh god, she hoped she hadn't made any bad first impressions, speaking of. She hated being late. The pace at which the elevator traveled up was that of a snail's - or so it seemed. And the elevator music (which was, by the way absurdly un-elevatory - it was The Hills by the Weeknd) was not calming her nerves whatsoever. But, she was a professional. She could do this.

The elevator dinged to a stop and released her out onto the 14th floor, and she made the first left just as Brandon Wallace had instructed her to. There was a bronze plaque on the wall that read; John Diggle in big bold letters. The office door was closed shut but the shutters were up. As she peered in, a tall dark man sat at a desk, multiple folders and books sprawled out in front of him. She knocked on the door, and waited for his okay to go in. 

John Diggle rose as she walked in, and she gave him a once over. He was a big guy. He was wearing a suit but she was betting on her life that his arms were the size of a tree trunk. He was thick like years of training and fighting had molded him into a machine. And yet, for all that his body showed how strong and tough he could be, his eyes were brown and warm, and it made her feel at ease.

'Ms. Smoak? My name is John Diggle.' He held his large hand out for her to shake. She took it and was surprised by the lack of callouses.

'Hi, Mr. Diggle.' She said. 'I'm here to register for a bodyguard. But I would like to schedule your alotted hours.'

'That's completely fine.' He assures her. 'But I have to ask for job productivity reasons - what pushed you into getting a bodyguard? It's not a recent thing - you becoming CEO. Has there been any death threats or enthusiastic adversary?' At the shadow on her face, his voice quieted to a deep rumble. 'Or is this a product of what happened at Verdant?'

Felicity tried to paste a smile on her face. She hoped it was working. 'There was that but I figure it was high time that I invested in protection anyways.' At Diggle's raised eyebrow, Felicity flushed. 'Not like that! Not that kind of protection, honestly!' She hastily said, wringing her fingers together. 'I have not been in need of protection in a long time. A very long time. _Very long_.' She tripped over her words, watching as his eyebrow practically lifted to his hairline. 'But I heard you were the best when it came to bodyguarding so I thought I'd come pay you a visit.'

It was only when he stroked his jaw that she realized her slip up.

'I didn't know we had mutual accquaintances.' Diggle said, sizing her up.

'Oh! Well, I heard it from a guy who heard it from his bartender who heard it from her cousin's boyfriend's brother.'

 _Oh god_. She hoped she didn't just say that. The skeptical look on Diggle's face told her she did. 

'Look, Ms. Smoak. If I'm going to be your bodyguard, then the first rule of business is that your safety is my top priority. The second rule however, is that we do not have secrets. Secrets hinder my ability to protect you, and if you want this partnership to workout, then you have to be honest with me, and in turn, I'll be honest with you.'

His brown eyes stare into hers for a moment longer before he says; 'Deal?'

'Deal'.

\--><\--

'It's so typical of John to pull the standard _secrets hinder my ability to protect you_ line', Oliver rolls his eyes so far back that Felicity is almost worried that they'll get stuck. 'He always used to say that to me when he was bodyguarding me.'

Felicity smiles over her glass of wine, waiting patiently for the takeout guy to ring her front door. 'And? Did you keep a lot of secrets from him?'

Oliver's ghostly figure takes on a pink blush - something that Felicity thought was rather unexpected. 'The only secrets I really kept from John were those that involved... debauchery.' His skin flushed even more at the words.

'Are you embarrassed, Oliver? Did one too many corporate secrets slip out during pillow talk?' The blonde couldn't help but tease, noticing how his fingers were twitching merrily by his side. 'Or did you just fall short in expectations?'

'Hey!' Oliver said, clearly offended. 'Don't ever question my prowress in the sheets because if I were alive I would have been able to make you scream all night long.' He emphasized his last three words, taking a bold step into her personal space. There was a brief pause before Felicity stepped back, her hands fluttering wildly around the stem of her wine glass. 

'Lame.' She snorts, hoping to diffuse the oddly intimate tension that has sprung up seemingly out of no where. 'If you have as much prowress as you say you do, you'd be able to make me scream even as a ghost.'

Oliver smirks, and her breath catches. 'Why? Are you willing to test that, fun-sized?' In response, she flips him off and she chuckles, but his eyes seem darker for such a transparent figure. The doorbell rings and she can't decide if she is grateful or not. She decides not to dwell on that.

When she goes to open the door, the delivery man is dressed from head to doe in a deep yellow, and more importantly, there's a huge bag that smells delicious in his hands. '$22.36'.

Felicity hands him her card and watches as he swipes it down the side of the holder attached to his phone. 'Thank you!' The blonde says brightly. 'Have a good day.' The man doesn't say anything more and instead salutes her with two fingers. Then he's off. When she gets back to the kitchen, Oliver is lazing atop the kitchen island, his long legs sprawled over the side.

'Get your feet off my counter, Queen.' She says, no real malice in her voice. The prospect of food is just too exciting for her to be serious. Oliver jumps off the island leans against her steel fridge, observing as she takes the bag's contents out. She ordered a vegetable lo mein, spring rolls, and sweet and sour chicken. 'Oh, food. The only love meant for me,' Felicity sighs.

Oliver looks disgusted, though. 'You call that food?'

She glares at him. 'Yes. What do you call it?'

'I call it a bucketload of sugar and fat and grease that'll probably end in heart failure.' He sighs at her disgruntled expression. 'Learn some necromancy and bring me back to life and I'll make you a homecooked meal every single day. I'll pack you lunch for work too.'

'So I take it that in a relationship, you'd be a housewife of sorts?'

'Shut up, Smoak.' Oliver says, but she can tell he's not mad by the way his lips tick up. 

Felicity ignores him and settles in on her plush couch, ready for another episode of Game of Thrones. As she forks a piece of sweet and sour chicken into her mouth, she moans. 'This is so good. Unhealthy or not, I say you live a good life, not a long life.' When she swallows, she looks apologetically to him. 'Sorry, bad wording. You know what I mean.'

'What's your favorite food?' The ghost asks, his form shimmering under the lights of the television. 

Felicity has to think for a moment. Having a mom that was always working shifts and a dad that was absent for most of her life made homemade meals very scarce. She clucks her tongue. 'I'm not really sure. I've always been used to takeout and eating in diners and stuff. My parents weren't really around that often to make me food or try out recipes or anything. I can bake because baking is just measurements and ingredients - it's chemistry. And I'm good at chemistry. But I can't cook to save my life. But if I had to choose something for someone to make me, I would like some pasta. I've never had any.'

'I'm sorry about your parents.' Oliver offers, and he looks like he means it. 'I can't cook for you because I'm dead but if you get the proper ingredients, I can walk you through how to make some pasta, step by step.'

Felicity's surprised. 'Why would you do that for me?' She can't help but wonder. It's sounds crass but it's true. It seems like such a kind thing to do.'

Oliver looks uncomfortable and he shows it by scratching the back of his ghostly neck. 'I don't like you but I think that you're too interesting to die from something as standard as unhealthy eating. Maybe you'll be a hero and die saving someone. And you're not a terrible roomate. But-!' He holds up a hand at her smile, 'Don't think that means I hold any spot for you in my cold and dead heart.'

Felicity bites into a crunchy spring roll, letting the taste of the vegetables and fried shell hit her tongue. 'Don't you?' She challenges. When he doesn't answer, she smiles in satisfaction. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers. I’m back again with another chapter of GITNOTG and i hope you all enjoyed it even though it was rather short. I’ll tell you guys why it was short. Outside my house there is a big tree and a baby squirrel fell from it and he couldn’t move and his claw was bleeding so my family and I nursed him back to health and it was all very exciting. I was busy which is why this chapter is not so long, and I hope you guys can forgive me for it.   
> School starts back next week and I hope you guys are all being safe. Wear masks!   
> Happy reading! :)


	7. Faces

**_May 19th, 3:20 P.M._ **

It was odd watching his former bodyguard trapize around the house as he once had before. John Diggle was easily one of the most honorable men Oliver could name to this day, and despite the client-bodyguard relationship they could have had, they had been more like brothers.

Of course, it had taken Diggle some time to warm up to Oliver - he had been one to slip the leash one too many times. In hindsight, he could understand why Diggle had called him a trust fund brat. Jumping from moving vehicles was the _not_ the way to go, and it had been literally John's job to protect him and Oliver had done everything in his power to swerve that safety lock and key. Well - he hadn't thought of it as ruining someone's job before. He had just wanted to get out from under his parents' thumb. Moira and Robert weren't used to no's. No matter who they were from, including their own children. 

Diggle had asked Felicity for the blueprints to the house but he didn't need one. There was not a doubt in his mind that Diggle had memorized the landscape on the condo since it had been Oliver's.

Well. It was still his house no matter what the adorably blonde and bright genius that had been _renting_ his room said. Yes - Felicity was only temporarily staying in the house, and it would only be a matter of time before she was packing. 

Diggle's deep timber carried from the upstairs rooms, and Oliver wondered if he had figured out who exactly Felicity had gotten her recommendation from. It was highly unlikely that he would guess, but he doubted that Felicity and Diggle ran in the same social circles. It was so hard to be the bridge that pulled everything together when he was dead. He floated up to the upper floors, willing himself to strengthen in order to see his friend. 

The upper floors were always darker - and it took Oliver a moment to adjust his eyes to the lack of light. He could hear the squeaky floorboard coming from the guest room down the long hallway, and he beelined it. As he stepped into the smooth wooded office, Oliver stopped short.

The office itself was something he knew Felicity had prepared for work, but she hardly ever used it. She mainly stuck to tinkering on the kitchen island and then brought her work down to the couch where she worked through papers and computer parts. It was cute though, that she thought she was neat. 

Felicity never kept herself unclean, but she was very unorganized. Her room was unkept with clothes thrown around haphazardly. Her bed was almost never made and when he asked her about it she claimed that it was more comfy that way — which had to be a lie. When she came home from work she always left her shoes tossed around like a wild monkey might pelt you with food, and Oliver was thoroughly horrified.

But even then, every morning she came out of her bedroom dressed immaculately, her fly away hairs carefully tucked into her pony tails with bobby pins, her makeup always flawless and her outfits fashionably on point. If Oliver didn't know she was the CEO of her own company, he would have assumed she was a model fresh off the runway. 

It wasn't because she was pretty, although sometimes her hair looked like gold spun on a spinning wheel, and her eyes looked as though someone had dipped a delicately pointed paintbrush into a glassy blue and painted the curtains to the soul. But no- it wasn't because she was pretty. 

It was just the way she held herself - highly and proudly although not so egotistical. Her chin was always up and she was always confident, even if sometimes in the morning she rambled and was a bit nervous on the way to work. She never let any of it show. 

He wondered when he stopped thinking of her as a total nuisance. 

When Oliver floated into sight, his heart began to hurt a little. Diggle was standing there - tall and and strong and the same. He hadn't changed at all. He still wore those black suits, crisp and clean like only a security agent would. 

'Learning the landscape of the house shouldn't be too hard.' Diggle assured Felicity, and he kept his face stoic, as though he had never knew Oliver. 'The property is a bit secluded and that makes me worry, a little.'

Oliver watches as the blonde frowns and pulls her bottom lip under her teeth. He wishes he could swipe it out from under the abuse. 'Why are you worried?'

'If anything were to happen, it'd be likely that it takes a long time for aid to arrive. Your house is all by itself, and if anyone were to come in, there's no one around to hear any disturbance or anything.'

'But doesn't that make this place more prone to being... secret? If it's secluded then no one will be able to find it.'

'I suppose, but sometimes that's more of a hinderance than a help.' Diggle said confidently. 'In the military, the lone bases are always easier to take down than the ones surrounded by the other bases. Sometimes numbers are better.'

Felicity frowned like it made sense but she didn't want it to. It made sense to Oliver.

He had died by himself and no one had found out his cause of death - or it was being kept in the dark. He supposed John's train of logic stemmed from his own death, where he had been by himself in this very same house. Diggle's stoic facade gave nothing away, but he could see the faintest crinkle near the crease of his eyes. 

'I guess...' Felicity contemplated, the frown still on her face. Diggle smiled gently. 

'You hired me for a reason, Felicity. You have to trust me to take care of your security and safety, because that's my top priority as your bodyguard.'

'Okay.' She relented. 'I'm hoping that you can start as soon as possible. I would like you around frm my mid work day to sometime in the evening.'

'Hours?'

Oliver watched them volley questions and bounce ideas off of each other. 

'10 to 6?'

'9 to 7?'

'9 to 6?' Felicity asked, ever the compromiser. 'I won't be at home sometimes, directly after work. Sometimes I go out with my friends or I get some food. I don't want you to have to get caught up in cocktails and crazy antics.'

'I know a lot more about crazy antics than you might give me credit for.'

Oliver did not doubt that. He had thrived on crazy antics and more often than not, Diggle had been dragged in due to obligatory bodyguarding reasons. Diggle had seen Tommy and him at their worst - that being throwing up all over the girls they were supposed to be taking home. Or maybe it was when Oliver had peed on that cop car, but, that was a sort of taboo subject. 

Felicity studied Diggle hard. 'I'm sure you do, Diggle. I'm sure you do.' Diggle raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her but didn't comment on her vague remark. When she and Diggle turned out, Oliver tried not to laugh at how she visibly jumped at his surprising presence. 

Shooting him a quick glare, she led Diggle out of the office, leaving him to follow her. 

'I'll be back in a few days. I'm going to take some time to learn the layout of your company's builiding before I show up.' His dark eyes glanced around the condo one more time before shooting her a worried look that shocked Oliver thoroughly. Diggle barely even knew Felicity but he was concerned for her safety - which really said a lot about him. And it said a lot about how Oliver's death had affected John. 

Oliver felt sudden wave of sadness wash over him. He missed his friends and his family. He missed Tommy and Thea and Diggle. He missed the Lance sisters that he hadn't even met - he missed meeting his best friend's significant other, and he would have been best man at their wedding no doubt. He missed movie nights with his little sister and the dry quips that Diggle often snarked with. He wished for an opportunity to eat another meal, to take another shower, hell! To be able to pick up something without his hand phasing through it would be enough.

Second to best, he wished to punch Bryan the sexual - assaulter. Most of all though, he wished to hi-five Felicity, like he should have been able to do since the first day. The constant tingles that they both felt at their opposite-ends-of-the-spectrum-forms touching just wasn't cutting it. 

'I'll see you around, Felicity. And don't hesitate to call if you need anything.'

'You too, Diggle.' Felicity shut the door and locked it behind him, before turning to Oliver. 'Diggle's a nice guy. Very persistent, but nice.'

'That persistency is what's gonna keep grubby hands like Bryan's away from you.' Oliver corrected without preamble, trying not to let his earlier sadness shine through. 'Diggle is very trustworthy. He'll take care of you.'

'Well he's not my babysitter.' Felicity grumbled, crossing her arms. 'So don't say it like _that_.'

Oliver let out a hearty laugh. She didn't sound so different from him not too long ago. 'I said the same thing.' Oliver admitted. 

A spark flew in her eyes, and Oliver prepared himself. 'Yeah, well, the difference between you and I is that I didn't use my asshattery status and fame to pee on cop cars.' She teased. Shit. That was supposed to be taboo. 

'How did you know about that?' He spluttered, hoping that ghosts couldn't turn red.

'Please, Oliver.' Felicity rolled her blue eyes at him like he was stupid. 'I'm an M.I.T. graduate that graduated two years early with dual degrees in computer sciences and cyber security. And I run my own tech company. If it's online, I can find it.' He suddenly did seem stupid in comparison.

She frowned suddenly, and Oliver resisted the urge to let his thumb roam over her pink bottom lip. 'What? Why the frown?'

'I can usually find everything. From bank statements to SCPD files and hacking my way into government agencies, if it's online I can find it. And I doubt your family hid your death causation so well that I couldn't find it. That leads me to believe that they never held any digital records about it. I'm assuming they left the autopsy in documentation form, because it's literally no where.'

Oliver's frowned mirrored her own. 'I wasn't aware you had started to look into my death.'

'Oh.' Her cheeks pinkened slightly. "I thought that after Tommy came here and told us, we had a silent but mutual agreement that I was going to be taking the reins on this one.'

'You can take the reins on anything you want, Felicity.' The innuendo was clear in his voice and her blush traveled up to her ears. 'But I honestly didn't know.'

'Well, no roomate brownie points for you, Oliver. We've been living together for weeks now! Don't you recognize my scheming face by now?'

'That's not fair.' The ghost argued. 'I doubt you know any of my faces by now.'

'Of course, I do, you big teddy bear! I know when Diggle left you were sad!'

Oliver leaned back, his eyes wide. She had noticed. That was... something. 'Well then, brownie points to you, Kit-Kat.' He murmured, letting his ghostly form disappear. Felicity sighed but turned away, her blonde hair swinging behind her.

'You don't have to deny it, Oliver. I know that seeing all your friends and family come and go can't be easy. If you're upset about it, I'm not going to judge you.'

Oliver didn't say anything but glided to her invisibly. She stopped short, and he knew that she knew he was there. She froze. Oliver dragged a phantom hand over her cheek, letting his thumb brush under her eye and stroked her gently there. Her body shuddered and her mouth parted in surprise. Her face flushed completely.

He stared into her eyes, and whispered; 'Thank you.'

And then he ripped himself away, and flew himself through the floor and onto the balcony, trying to control his dead form from heaving heavily. But it was still silent after he left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is another short chapter and I'm sorry but the truth is that school started again and I've been so busy with homework and adjusting to it that I've barely had any time. I might move my update days to Saturday but we'll see how the next few weeks go. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to leave comments and kudos!
> 
> Stay safe out there, guys!!  
> Happy reading :)


	8. Definition Increased

**_May 29th, 12:11 P.M._ **

The time had been passing agonizingly slow since she had arrived at the office - which she normally wouldn't complain about, but Felicity's day had been so unproductive that she wanted to throw off her heels, let down her hair, and have a good cry. It sounded dramatic - because it was. And she also refused to do that in front of John Diggle, who was posted outside her set of fiberglass double doors with the foggy privacy screen. Not that she had anything to be hiding, but it could be unnerving knowing someone was looking into her office at any given moment.

Diggle stood outside with her executive assistaint; Jerry McCall. Jerry sat by the U-Bend desk, the phone usually pressed firmly against his ear as he typed away on the laptop. Her own line was blinking red on all eight lines, and Felicity sometimes wished she wasn't a CEO. 

Well-no. That was a lie. She loved the process of starting her own company and building something from scratch. But dealing with priviledged white men whose father's and grandfather's had been in the family business was just exhausting and demeaning at times. 

A light knock on the door and the shadow of a petite figure signaled that Alena was in. Alena was easily Felicity's work best friend besides Curtis Holt, and more often than not she reported to Felicity concerning the huge project they had due. 

Diggle opened the door for Alena, already knowing that the young woman was allowed in whenever she wanted, whether her appointment had been scheduled or not. Still, he said out of courtesy, 'Alena is here to see you, Miss. Smoak.'

Felicity waved at them. 'Send her in. And thank you, Diggle.' Diggle nodded at her and closed the door behind Alena, who was already plopping herself down in the chair across from Felicity's. 

'Your hunk of a bodyguard never fails to surprise me. It's been over a week and I still never get used to seeing his humongous form lurking outside your door.' Alena fanned herself, like the thought of Diggle was making her hot, which made Felicity frown.

'Don't objectify Diggle.' She scolds, snapping her fingers in front of Alena's seemingly day-dreamy face. Then she says quietly, 'And I'm pretty sure he's married.'

Well, that was a lie. Felicity had did a background check on Diggle (like all CEOs of tech companies often did with their employees) and it turned out that he had been married on the battlefield. He hadn't looked like someone to be so sentimental, but then again, she didn't know him that well yet. _But_ , they had divorced not so long after their return home. 

That was interesting, but something that had caught her attention more than anything was that Diggle's ex-wife, Lyla, was an ARGUS agent. ARGUS was a super secret, super scary government agency that was just one mission away from being considered on the wrong side of morality. Felicity wondered if that way why they had broken up, but she doubted it. If Diggle had already been in the military when he had met Lyla, there was probably a good chance he had known all about her involvement.

But, she supposed that they both had jobs that could take toll on their partners. Diggle's job was literally to protect Felicity from anything, whether it be a handsy guy or a spray of bullets. That sort of expectation might be too much for someone. And she didn't know what Lyla did but she was sure that it wasn't exactly safe.

'Even if he has a wife, I can still look. If he's not going to be my bodyguard, it's comforting to know that everytime I come up here my eyes will be pleased.'

'You know I'm going to start thinking you're coming up here more frequently just to ogle Diggle.' Felicity accuses, leaning back in her chair and waving the calls Jerry is sending her. 'You might want to voice record what you want to tell me before you come. I'm afraid that when you look at Diggle everything will fly out of your head.'

Alena snorts at that. 'No man has ever, and will ever cause me to look like I haven't earned my dual degrees. Not even your tree-trunked arm protector.'

 _'Tree-trunked arm protector!'_ Felicity groans, running carefully painted green nails over her eyes in exasperation. 'I don't even know what to say to that.'

'Neither do I!' Diggle called out through the door, his voice completely montone. Alena blushed wildly and Felicity busted out laughing. Diggle's shadowed head turned through he foggy doors. 'I hope you guys know I can hear everything. _Everything.'_ He emphasized. 

'I'm not even sorry.' Alena mutters, although she lets her hair swings in front of her face like it might hide her from the shame. DIggle's laugh is muffled but still there. Alena straightens up then. 'Curtis and I were working on the biomedical scanner today and we finally found out what the problem was.'

Ah. The biomedical scanner. Smoak Tech had been working on a piece of equipment that they called the biomedical scanner. They were basically a pair of goggles that they were going to sell to hospitals and private medical businesses. The biomedical scanner worked as an X-Ray machine but with a 90 percent reduction in radiation - less radioactive matter to hurt the user and the patient. The final kink that had stopped them from copying the beta was the fact that the x-ray feature was often glitching out randomly. It was not a good thing when you were scanning a body for broken bones or tumors or anything like that. They had been trying to fix it.

The biomedical scanner had only pure intentions behind it so Felicity hoped that no one would purchase one for nefarious reasons. She hoped that their invention would revolutionize the medical market but she was unsure of how many hospitals would be willing to make the change when they were so used to the normal machines. 

'How long does it run for without stopping?' She asked curiously, wondering if this project was really on the gangway like they so hoped. 

'The full thirty-six hours! Well, 36 hours and 42 minutes but I think that that's even better. They have to charge it anyways.'

'Test run it a few more times to make sure we have conclusive results.' Felicity instructed, and nodded as Alena got up and pushed her chair in. 'And then tomorrow night the team will prep and send in the goggles to be made.'

'You got it, boss lady!' Alena winked before she pulled open the doors. Felicity could faintly hear the muted farewells between Diggle and Alena - and she would bet her company that Alena had blushed so red.

\--><\--

'Did you get it? Did you get it?' Oliver's ghostly form was gliding up and down in excitement. He was flickering a bit, like a TV with bad connection. 

Felicity toed off her heels haphazardly in the way she knew Oliver hated and grinned at his childish enthusiasm. Patting the oversized cloth bag hung over her shoulder, she turned to face him before reaching for her hair. Tugging on her blue hair band, she pulled down until her hair was free. She shook her head slightly, and her blonde hair fanned out around her.

It felt so good. After a long day of work, she felt wound up and letting her hair fly free was just so relaxing. As she ran a hand over her tender scalp and winced, she opened her eyes to see Oliver staring at her, his eyes blown wide open and jaw dropped. 

'What's up, Queen?' She smirked her cherry-red lips. 'Cat got your tongue?'

'I'd like to get my tongue on your cat.' Oliver blurted before clapping his hands to his mouth like he couldn't believe what he had just said.

Felicity couldn't either. And she was surprised by the legion of images that attacked her all at once. And all of them factored one thing -- his tongue.

'Ummm.' She was at a lost for words.

'Uhhhh.' He seemed equally lost. 

They stared at each other for a long moment, Felicity's cheeks on fire before she licked her lips. She watched intently as Oliver's gaze dropped and she tried not to breathe too heavily. 

'I can show you what I picked up?' The blonde suggests, in futile attempts to disarm the mood, pulling on her bag. Oliver shakes his head vehemently.

'Yeah, yeah. Let's see if you can follow orders, Smoak.

She cast him a dirty stare. 'I don't take orders from anyone but myself, Queen. I suggest you get that into your head.' He raises his hand placatingly before floating over to the bag. 

'Are you ready, fun-sized?'

Felicity laid the bag sideways and the let the contents slide out. A cardboard container of mushrooms, a package of stripped chicken, garlic cloves, parmesean cheese, onions, milk and a large package of pasta all rolled onto the table and Oliver inspected it carefully before raising an eyebrow. 'Where's the wine?'

She rolled her eyes. 'I'm not an amateur, Oliver. The wine was probably the only thing I didn't have to buy because I always have wine stocked up somewhere.'

'And? Are you favorable to white wine or red wine?'

'I like both.' She said reasonably. 'But, if I truly had to choose it'd be red wine. There's nothing like coming home and watching Game of Thrones with a glass of red wine in my hand.' He nodded out the corner of his eye like he had been expecting her to say that. 'What about you?'

'I'm not really a wine drinker myself.' He says.

'You're not much of an anything drinker these days.' The blonde points out regrettably crassly.

His expression only lightens, though. 'I like whiskey. Wine is fine but I leave it for the special occasions.' In her periphreal, he turned to look at her and she couldn't help but ask.

'Would you say this is a special occasion?' She holds her breath, half anticipating half scared for his response. She doesn't know why.

Oliver snorts in unhandsome manner. 'Teaching my helpless roomate how to cook a simple meal? Of course! That's special.' He laughs lightly, his ghostly hands gliding over the mushrooms. 'You know, if I were alive and this was to persay... a romantic gathering between us two..'

Felicity's heart rate crept up at an alarming pace and she hoped he couldn't hear it because it seemed like it echoed through the whole room. 'You mean a date?' She teased.

'No, no. Oliver Queen doesn't do dates, sweetheart. Oliver Queen wine, dines, and worships you like a holy shrine.' He smirked at her. 'I was notorious for my bedding skills, not for dates and romance and serenading, Felicity. Of course, I can't do anything of those things with you.' He floats in front of her until they're looking each other in the eye. 'Regrettably.' He drags the word out purposefully, his eyes moving down her form with wicked intent. 

Felicity feels herself flush wildly under the heat of his gaze, and she almost can't believe her most sexually arousing situation since of late is innuendos by a ghost. She was truly pathetic. Or truly lucky. She had yet to decide. 'If this was a romantic gathering between us two,' She backtracks, hoping to keep his stare off of her.

'I would cook you dinner myself.' He says simply, perching himself on the top of the island. 'There would be no need for you to cook because I would do it all myself.'

'You're joking, right?' She laughs, pulling out her cutting board and placing the garlic cloves on top of it. Meticulously, she looks down and begans to crush the individual fegs. 'Are you really telling me that womanizer - playboy Oliver Queen is a housewife at heart? How cute!' She cooes. 

'No, it's called being a gentleman.' He corrects, his blonde hair looking oddly mussed. 

'I thought you were all ratchet and scandalous.'

'Ratchet?' Oliver scoffs in offense. 'I'm no thug, thank you very much.' He says stiffly. 'I could be scandalous, though. But, no. My housemaid taught me how to treat a lady. No matter how much I slept around, I did it in grace.'

'You passed around STDs in grace? That's new.' Felicity sets aside the garlic and opens the chicken wrapper and washes it before cutting off the disposable pieces.

'No, I mean, I always made sure the girl was taken care of. Whether or not she wanted something to eat or needed to shower, I was very caring with my partners.' He let out a laugh that was raucous then. 'I can't wear them out and then leave them by themselves, can I?' 

She rolled her eyes. 'You're insufferable.'

'Insufferably sexy.' He puffs out his chest as much as he can, a proud look on his face. 'I bet you and all your tech skills can pull up an argument about my top ten sex moves or something. They're were dozens of articles about it when I was still bed hopping.' His face crinkled for a second. 'And bar hopping, although that was less frequent.'

'Very cute.' She can't help but say. 'You're so self absorbed that you immerse yourself in sex articles about well, _you_. Don't you feel just a bit egotistical?' 

'No.' Oliver shrugged with no shame whatsoever. 'It's nice to know that I'm appreciated. You'd feel the same if you were as attractively alluring as I am.' The present tense was not lost on her.

'Just shut up and tell me what to do, asshat.' 

'Okay, first, it's good that you cut up the garlic and cleaned the chicken already. I guess you're not totally lacking in common sense.' At her glare, he smiled. 'Moving on! Heat up two teaspoons of oil in a large pan for about two to three minutes. While it's heating, season the chicken with some salt and black pepper.' He watched with a teacher's commanding stare as drizzled oil into a pan and placed it over the lit up stove. 'Not too much salt, though. You don't want to ruin the chicken.' He directed as she sprinkled the salt over the chicken lightly. 

'I'm already tired,' Felicity grumbled, as she picked up a pair on tongs and placed the chicken into the pan with oil. 'Can you materialize and finish it up?'

Oliver laughed loudly, and she smiled internally. She thought that it had maybe been a long time since he had laughed like this, and it made her happy she was able to keep a somewhat friendly ghost company. 

'Get you're lazy ass to it, Smoak. Chop chop!' He clapped his ghost hands together.

\--><\--

'Mmmm, god! This is so good, Oliver!' Felicity moaned aloud. Oliver's phantom form was floating on the other side of the island, watching her eat with deep fascination, his hands folded below his chin. He had taught her how to make a mushroom and chicken pasta with a light alfredo sauce, so that it wasn't so thick and filling. 

Felicitu speared the pasta and chicken in one before popping it into her mouth. 'Seriously! I have never had something so good, and that's saying something because I eat Big Belly Burger regularly.' 

'Big Belly Burger will give you a big belly,' Oliver supplied, hoping he wasn't being too obvious in his attempts to teach her to cook more.

Felicity paused her chewing before looking at him with wide eyes. 'You think I have a big belly?' She pouted and Oliver felt panic seize him.

'No! No, no!' He rushed to say, waving his hands out at her. 'That's not what I meant. Not at all. I mean, like potentially, if you eat too much of it you could retain a lot more fat than nutrition. Not -- not that I'm saying you're fat but...' He trailed off when he saw her large smirk. 

'Just kidding.' She smiled too sweetly, before taking a sip of her red wine. 

Oliver groaned. 'I hate you so much, Smoak. You're evil. All 5'3 of you.'

'I'm 5'5.' The genius corrected. 'And 5'8 with heels.' 

Oliver scoffed, silently pleased with their banter. 'I'm 6'1,' He bragged. Felicity was a head shorter than him. ‘I don’t need heels to be tall.’ 

'Great job, macho man,' Felicity claps sarcastically. 'It's literally statistical that men are 3 to 12 percent taller than woman. I'm so proud of you Oliver. You're fitting into science's expectations.' Her plate was almost empty and she was tempted to take a second serving but she probably wouldn't be able to finish it. And she was not going to let a single morsel go to waste. It would be completely immoral. 

'You don't have to be so mean.' He pouts. 'I can only take so much of your ribbing before it hits my heart.'

'Aww, is the little baby going to cry?' Felicity juts out her bottom lip and Oliver knew that had he had a physical body, that lip would have already been trapped between his teeth. He thinks it's smart not to say it aloud though. Then she's getting out of her seat and walking around the marble to his side. She puts her hands on his phantom cheeks, and he knows the tingle rushes through her when she shivers. However, he's not expecting her to take a step back entirely. But she does. Her whole body tenses, which makes him go on high alert.

'What's wrong?' The octave of his voice changes and all juvenile behavior gets thrown out the figurative window. 'Why'd you jump?'

'The tingle... it just...' Felicity rubs her arms that now have goosebumps on them unsurely. 'It was the tingle.' She looks worried.

Oliver's head tilts in confusion. 'You've always had the tingle.' He waits for her to elaborate.

'I know, I know.' She agrees. 'But this time it was so strong. It was more like an electric shock or something. You even look more defined.' 

_That_ startles Oliver.

'More defined?' He echoes. He looks down at his own body. He doesn't look any different. There's still a silvery blue glow shining around him, and as he moves his hand through the kitchen island, it still sinks through. They both watch as his hand pushes in and out of the counter like a boomerang. 'I still seem pretty ghostly.' 

He watches her concentrate on his form. 'I don't know.' Is her response after a long while. 'I suppose nothing's changed but I just have this intuition that something's different.' 

'Different how?' He asks, unknowingly voicing both of their queries. As she opens her mouth, the phone on the counter top rings. Quickly, she scoops it up and answers before signalling him with a single finger.

The universal _wait-a-moment_ sign.

He can only hear her side of the conversation but he catches onto the gist. 

'Alena? Hi. Why are you calling so late?' There's a pause before she says, 'You're amazing. And Curtis too. How did you do it?' Another moment before Felicity's face lights up like pure sunshine, her teeth gleaming with her wide smile. 'Oh my god, yes. After this I'm giving the whole team end of the year bonuses and a trip to the sunniest tropical island. Away from the cold and rain of Starling.'

It's odd how a sudden sadness comes over Oliver. He's become so used to Felicity's annoying but bubbly presence around the house that her spending any long period of time away from him is just sad. She's the only person he's spoken to for years.

'Okay. Tomorrow I'm going to the lab bright and early, okay? You and Curtis should meet me there. And see if you can get Caitlin too. We might need her. I'll see you tomorrow, Alena.' Then she hangs up and she's practically vibrating with excitement, and Oliver doesn't have it in him to take away her thrill. 

'You're excited.' He notes, nodding. Their previous conversation is clearly light years behind them.

'Oh, Oliver!' She sighs happily. 'I'm about to change the medical field for the better. I've been waiting so long for this.' 

'I know you have.' Oliver replies simply, feeling there's not much more to be said. And he does know. Felicity's been talking about her biomedical scanner for as long as they've managed to keep civil conversation - which, granted isn't very long but it's long enough. He watches her as she continues to babble about the schematics of the tech, and he's not really processing what she's saying, but he can't still feel the way his lips unconciously tick up at the way she doesn't even pause for breath through her whole speech. 

He wonders what that says about him.

\--><\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my favorite readers! How are you doing on this chilly Thursday? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! Don't forget to leave kudos and comments. Stay safe, you guys!
> 
> Happy reading :)


	9. How to Be a Strong CEO -- by Oliver Queen

June 2nd, 11:28 A.M.

Felicity stood with her back to the huge monitor in the board room, practically vibrating with nerves and excitement. Alena, Curtis, and Caitlin all stood beside her, their professional wear ironed without fail and their lines all memorized. The circular glass table was occupied with CEOs and investors, all with clipboards and notepads at reach.

'Whenever you're ready, Ms. Smoak.' A white haired man nodded toward her. His name was Mr. Albert Grahm, and Felcity had made sure she did her homework on every single person who would be attending her meeting. He had two daughters and was one of the few people in the room that didn't mind having a female in power. 

She nodded back. She hoped there wasn't an inch of nervousness showing on her face -- she couldn't afford to be anything but confident today. 

Politely, she nodded to Curtis, who switched on the monitor. 'Good morning, ladies and gentleman. First off, I would like to give my thanks for you all coming to see this presentation. My team and I have worked long and hard on this project and we hope that it can revolutionize the medical market.' She made sure to catch the eye of Mrs. Diana Miller. Her son was working in the medical field, and she hoped that it would win her a few brownie points. 

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the silk cloth off the scanner that was laid on a black block in front of her. She watched as they scrawled their notes down quickly, observing the design. Curtis clicked on the slides behind her. 'We created the biomedical scanner to serve in as a substitute for x-ray machines. Caitlin Snow is a doctor and she has firsthand experience on how radiation affects her patients and those around it.'

Caitlin took it as her cue to step up. 

'Good morning, ladies and gentleman.' Caitlin was soft and warm as she always was, greeting the board members with a pleasant smile that immediatly made Felciity feel at ease. She was probbaly the only doctor that Felicity wasn't afraid of. 'I am Doctor Caitlin Snow and I am currently occupied at S.T.A.R. Labs, based in Central City. Ms. Smoak is an old friend and peer of mine, and she asked me to oversee the project's development as I work closely with x-ray machines. And without any further ado, I can say without hesitation that this biomedical scanner', She indicates towards the device on the black block, 'is the next building block in the medical industry. As a doctor, I can only begin to explain how harmful the effects of radiation can be to a person, no matter how much matter they're exposed to. Unfortunately, we need radiation and x-ray machines in order to see your skeletal print, and it can't always be avoided. The biomedical scanners reduce the radiation waves by 90%.'

Felicity watches with rapt focus as the board members drink in Caitlin's every word, their attention piqued and now lasered in on the small device before them. Stepping up to the plate, she held her head high. 'The 90% reduction in radiation would not only benefit the patient, but also the user. 'As someone who gets a firsthand look at the hospital patients, I can tell you that statistically, about 1% of the population gets cancer from overexposure to radiation. That may not sound like a lot, but if you have 1,000 patients, that's already 100 people.' 

'And how much would it cost to produce these devices?' Mr. Hardingston asked, waving his pen around. 

'That's the thing.' Alena said, glancing at Felicity with a smile. 'The biomedical scanners not only reduce radiation, but they're also created out of recycled plastic and metals. We don't need anything for the exterior of the product itself, just the technology within it. Normal x-ray machines cost anywhere between 60,000 and 140,000 to purchase, and more than 200,000 dollars to charge it and use regularly. Our biomedical scanners can be made with a comparatively smaller value of 25,000 dollars. Hospitals will be more likely to buy them for their significantly lower prices.'

'How soon will you be able to get them out on the market?' Mrs. Miller asked, her face giving away nothing.

'If we get your confirmation today, we should have them out within the next six months, assuming there are no setbacks,' Curtis answered. 

Mrs. Miller tapped her pen thoughtfully. 'I think this project could be a great success if everything runs according to plan.'

'Well, I think that this project is going to end up sending Smoak Tech down the drain,' Mr. Hardingston said rather negatively, Felicity couldn't help but think. 'This biomedical scanner is a good idea, but the truth to it is that something like your prototype has no backing whatsoever. There's no standing for it, and without any proof, there's a slim chance that people will want to buy your product.'

'Yes, but with all due respect, I think that's what makes this a good project,' Felicity said eagerly. 'We can be the base for this piece of equipment, and we may not have results, but we have to start somewhere. It might as well be with us.'

Mrs. Miller was smiling, and Mr. Hardingston wa scowling. 'I think it's time we conclude this board meeting,' Mrs. Miller nodded politely to Felicity. 'We'll get back to you on our decision tomorrow.'

'Thank you for your time,' The CEO said, shaking each board member's hands, her team doing the same thing as they walked out.

As the glass doors shut behind her, Alena asked lowly; 'How do you think it's going?' 

Curtis bit his lip. 'It's hard to say. Only two of the board members really spoke up and it was really 50/50.' 

'I'm sure it'll be fine,' Caitlin assured them. 'The presentation went smoothly and the numbers are looking good. They don't have a legitimate reason to reject the notion of it. The fact that we also have a presentable prototype that functions perfectly well will also help our cause.'

'I hope so,' Felicity mutters, trying hard not to bite her nails. The others only give her sympathetic glances but didn't say anything. 

Good.

She didn't want their sympathy.

\--><\--

Diggle and Felicity sat side by side on her stools that were standing proudly beside her kitchen island, sharing sushi from her favorite sushi spot down the road. Oliver sat on the other side of the island, eyes narrowed on their two figures. Felicity hoped she wasn't being obvious in the way that her eyes were averting to where he was sitting every thirty seconds. It would not be good if Diggle thought she was seeing things that weren't there. 

'So, tell me a little bit about you, Felicity.' Diggle said around his mouthful of sushi, his jacket slung over the side of the couch, and his sleeves rolled up. 

'Well, there's not much to say,' Felicity started. 'I grew up in Las Vegas, and went to M.I.T. I graduated and came straight out of college and I worked a few jobs just to keep me afloat before I started up Smoak Tech. My best friend is Sara Lance and that's really it.'

'Sara Lance? As in Quentin Lance's daughter?' Diggle connected the dots. At her nod of confirmation he said, 'That's a good circle to be running in.' He shoved another piece of sushi into his mouth and swallowed before asking; 'What about your family? Any siblings?'

Felicity hope she didn't tense up. She didn't like talking about her family. 'Only child.' She muttered, stabbing her chopsticks through a piece of tuna that had escaped from the roll. Shoving it into her mouth angrily she said, 'Just me and my mom.' Diggle clearly wanted to push but sensed it was a sore topic for her. 'And you?' The blonde nodded at him hoping to take the spotlight off of herself. 

‘I’m ex - military and before four years ago, i was stationed in Afghanistan. I keep in touch with my parents and I had a brother. His name was Andy.’ 

‘Had?’ Felicity echoed, slowing down on her chewing as she noticed the past tense. 

‘Andy worked in the security field like I do. He got shot and killed while protecting his charge.’ Diggle said solemnly. Noticing her shocked look, he cracked a half smile. ‘Don’t worry about it. It was a long time ago.’

‘Well, that doesn’t make it any less sad, you know.’ She met his brown eyes. ‘Did they ever catch the person who killed him?’

‘Caught him myself,’ Diggle nods assuredly, not meeting her eye for some reason. ‘I - uh, didn’t trust myself with him so I handed him over to the police the first chance I got.’ 

Felicity wasn’t sure what to say after that, so they lapsed into a methodical silence, filled with the sounds of glasses clinking against the marble surface and sushi being chewed. 

Oliver was still looking at them, his expression as he stared at her new bodyguard almost unreadable. 

Diggle swiped a few napkins off the countertop and scrapped up the crumbs left behind from the rice. ‘I should get going. See you tomorrow?’

’Yeah, yeah.’ Felicity dragged her gaze away from Oliver, and she stood up to let him out, making sure he grabbed his jacket on the way. After waving goodbye to him, she rounded on Oliver, who had glided from his spot at the island. 'You've been awfully quiet,' She noted.

'You wouldn't have been able to respond anyways,' Oliver shrugged. 'And plus, Diggle's smart. He would have been able to see if your attention had been caught by something that wasn't even there.'

Felicity conceded to this point before motioning for the ghost to follow her as she walked up the stairs. 'Even so, you seem a bit sober today.'

'I mean, there's nothing else for me to be doing. How was your presentation today?' Felicity pushed open her bedroom door and left Oliver floating by her bed and stepped into the adjoined bathroom. 

'It was good,' She called out to him, pulling her hair free out of it's hairband, wincing as her hair dropped. Her scalp was usually sensitive afterwards. Massaging her fingers over the skin, she walked out back. 'The board hasn't determined whether or not they'll accept the project, so we're waiting for the results to come in. They said they'll have an answer by tomorrow.'

Oliver shook his head, his blue eyes piercing hers. 'Oh, little Felicity. All the things you have to learn about the corporate world.' He patted the spot on the bed next to him. 'Come, let's chat.'

Felicity frowned before sitting next to him. 'What are your wise words o-holy ghost?' She quipped sarcastically, letting her head fall back onto the duvet. 

'You're the CEO, Felicity. You're in charge. Whether or not the board approves of your choices means little because as CEO, you have the power to override anything they say. Veto any decision you don't like. Yes, it's nice to have the backing of the board but it's not mandatory.'

'That seems like an abuse of power,' The blonde points out, eyeing him. 'What good am I as a CEO if I'm a dictator?' 

Oliver shakes his head again, jaw set firmly. 'If you know you can get something done, and get it done correctly, why should it matter what they say? You and your team have been working on the biomedical scanner for a long time now. Are you really willing to throw that all away because the board of your company might not give you the go ahead? Never forget - never forget! Never forget that you're the one who hired them all, and that gives you the right to move foward with a project or a choice regardless of what they say. You can't build something as amazing as an tech empire only to have someone knock you down a step because they don't agree with your idea. Some of the people who are going to go against you won't even do it because they believe it's the right choice. Some will do it because they don't want to see a strong female figure make her worth known. It's up to you to make sure that it doesn't happen.'

Oliver's speech had awed Felicity into silence. She had never heard him speak so much in one breath, and the passion in his voice sounded almost personal. 

'Sounds like you know all about injustices in the boardroom.' 

The ghost chuckled darkly. 'Of course I do. It's hard not to when you're Oliver Queen.' He's looking her in the eyes now. 'Both my mother and my father were responsible for the building and development of Queen Consolidated. It was their baby before Thea and I were their babies. And yet, my father is the CEO. My mother has played the part of loyal wife, and why? She and my father could have been Co-CEOs, but they're not.'

'Life can be pretty fucking unfair.'

'Amen to that.' Then he looks around as if he's just realizing they're in her bedroom. 'What are we doing in here?'

'Oh! I'm about to shower.' A blush invades her face as if the implication of her invitation settles in. It only darkens as a cheshire cat smile lights up Oliver's face.

'Oh? Is this the formal welcome I've been waiting for? Am I being invited in while you do your thing?'

'First of all, that sounds creepy. Second of all, I don't know what _thing_ you're talking about, but all I'm doing is getting clean!'

'Getting clean only to get down and dirty again, amiright?' He held his hand up high like he was waiting for a hi-five (which Felicity promply ignored). 

'No!' Felicity scolds. 'Besides, I'm not sure you're worthy enough to see my goods.' She winks at him, before turning on her heel with a flourish, her gray towel already swinging off the door rack and over her arms. She disappears into the bathroom.

'Uh, I am perfectly worthy!' Oliver calls back to her, the tips of his ears turning reddish. 'And I'll have you know that it's my goods that are too perfect to be flaunted around!'

'Please, Queen. You don't have anything I haven't seen before. And if your goods are as perfect as you say they are, I'm inclined to wonder why you've slept with half of Starling's legal aged women.' 

The door reopens and Felicity is stepping out, her gray towel wrapped around her snuggly, and it's all Oliver can do to keep his tongue from falling out his mouth. Her shoulders are bare and devoid of any straps and sleeves, and her legs go on for miles. Her neck is without jewelery and the pale column of her neck is calling to him like blood sings to a vampire. 

Felicity clears her throat, a smug smile decorating her features when his eyes move from her chest and back up to her face. He hopes he doesn't look as guilty as he feels. 'See something you like?'

'No. No! Not at all!' Oliver sputters. 'I was admiring your... your... pictures!' He gestured to the opposite direction of where she was standing, wincing at his terrible and totally see through excuse. Felicity's smirk told him she wasn't fooled either. 

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Felicity smiled, her lashes fluttering wildly. "Whatever you say, Queen.'

Oliver tried not to choke on his spit as his hips her swayed behind her.

God damn. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi. please don't hate me for my uncalled for hiatus. to be fair, i was busy with school (and let me tell you guys, remote learning just sucks). anyways. this chapter is short but i'm back and i hope you guys like it!  
> happy reading!  
> and stay safe!!


	10. In Between

June 3rd, 6:03 P.M.

Oliver had never realized how attached he was becoming to Felicity until she started bringing people over to his house. Normally he wouldn't mind but it was exhausting when the only person you could talk to was occupied with other people. And he definitely didn't want her getting carted away to a mental institute when she started talking to things that no one else could see.

No, he could imagine that wouldn't go over well at all. 

His blonde pain in the ass ( okay - not that she was _his_ persay) was currently at work, and she was bound to come home at any moment. No doubt she'd also have a bag of some takeout or the other, just loaded with salt and oil and all the unhealthy particles that made up store bought food. It was tragic, really. Felicity had him and his undivided attention at her disposal and she still chose to indulge in these body rottening delicacies. He just didn't understand what possessed her to do it. Hell, Felicity was a billionare. She could hire a personal chef to make her meals - healthy meals. 

The door lock audibly turning snapped Oliver's attention away from his inner thoughts. He quickly shimmered away - he couldn't have Felicity becoming too egotistical and thinking he was _waiting_ for her arrival. No, that wouldn't do.

'Honey, I'm home!' Felicity called with her usual sarcastic tone. There was no mistaking the thud of her heels flying off her feet haphazardly, and yet, Oliver would still bet his life that despite that, she had hung her coat up perfectly primp. When she stepped out of the long hallway, Oliver knew that if he still needed air, his breath would have been caught. 

Felicity's hair was down for once, her short locks framing her face like it was meant to be. And it was like looking at someone who had been touched by a sun god - he could have sworn that she looked like sunshine and honey and the swaying tall grasses that rippled like oceans in the long rolling hills and blue skies. She looked like the tulip fields in the Netherlands, her completely matte blossom lipstick etched to perfection over her lips, and her blue eyes sparkled like carved tanzanite. 

'Oliver? Where are you?' Felicity called out, her head swiveling back and forth as she looked for him. He took a moment, though, to himself. He hoped he didn't look too awestruck by her after hours demeanor, and cemented his presence. 

'Here.' He winced. He sounded like grated sandpaper had met concrete.

She noticed too, if her eyebrows furrowing was any indication. 'Did you catch a cold overnight?' She teased. She switched the bag of Big Belly Burger that was in her hands to the coffee table next to her and leaned down to shuffle through the mail she had brought on the way in. Oliver took the opportunity to stare at her for a moment longer. She was showcasing a deep red dress, and the bodice wrapped her almost in trench coat fashion, but the skirt splayed out artfully. He wondered if she had worn black or nude heels with it. Either way, he was sure she had looked stunning.

'Oliver?' She snapped her fingers, a soft smile curling on her lips. 'Are you okay? Why are you staring?' She glanced down at herself before tugging on the dress hem. 'Did I spill some food on my dress? Because I can be a messy eater and sometimes I don't notice when -'.

'You should wear red more often.'

Oliver felt his adam apple bob and his face flush at his impromptu statement. Felicity had paused mid ramble, and was now staring at him, eyes wide. 

'Excuse me?' Felicity stammered, blood rushing to her face.

Shit. _Shit._ How did he save himself here?

'Um, you just look nice today. That's what I meant to say.' He scratched the back of his neck, his eyes darting away from hers rapidly. Would she be disgusted? Did she find him looking at her uncalled for?

He couldn't tell. 

Oliver made jokes and pretended to be macho, but if she ever felt like he was overstepping some boundaries he wouldn't hesitate to correct her. It was hard to tell how she felt about it though, when last night... well... he didn't know what last night had been, if it had been anything at all. It _couldn't_ have been nothing. Could it have been? He didn't know.

'That's not what you said. Tell me what you said,' Felicity said stubbornly, her arms crossed. She wasn't going to let go of this, he could tell. Oh, how he regretted appearing. But... that could also be an escape plan too. Just as he was preparing to vanish in thin air, Felicity huffed loudly. 'Don't even think about disappearing, Queen, or I'll revive you and feed you Big Belly Burger for the next month.'

Fucking adorable. _That_ was her threat. 

Oliver's lips quirked up. 'Is that the best you got, fun-size?' He waggled his eyebrows at her. He hummed, and her could practically feel her irritation radiate in waves. 'It's not your fault that you're not threatening. You didn't ask to be short, afterall,' He shrugged innocently.

'And you didn't ask to be dumb, but I guess it's not your fault your brain is smaller than your balls,' Felicity fired back without preamble, and Oliver snorted loudly. 'And don't think I don't notice what you're doing. Evasion tactics won't work on me, Queen,' The genius wagged her finger at him warningly. 'I took AP psychology, and came out with a 102 average for the class.'

'Well, I'd like to point out that while I may not have big brains, my balls actually do make up for that.'

They had a bit of a staring contest before Felicity sighed as if to say _get a load of this idiot._

'I don't know what part of that was supposed to promote you but, it didn't.' 

'Obviously it was supposed to highlight my sexual prowress.' Oliver grinned. Finally. They were skerving away from the topic at hand. 

'I can't take your word on that because there's no way for you to prove it,' The CEO said. Then she blushed. 'Not that I would want you to, but I'm just saying. No trial should be unfair. And hey! Tell me what you said!' 

The ghost groaned. 'It was nothing, okay! You should let it go.' 

'It couldn't be so bad,' Felicity rationalized. 'And plus, I'm a big girl. I can handle whatever you said. Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings.' Oliver wondered if she knew how stunning she looked right now, all fired up and yet still worn down from work. 

His eyes dragged towards the ceiling, and he licked his lips. 'It's not that it's bad,' He started, trying to explain how he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the entire world while also appearing nonchalant. 'It's more like I can't let you become more prideful than you already are.'

'Well? Spit it out!' She had dropped her mail onto the little coffee table in front of the T.V. 

'All I said was that I think red is your color. That's all.' He shrugged again, hoping to convey the image of uncaring. Still, he noticed when Felicity's spine straightened at the compliment, and her head tilted like she was seeing him for the first time. 

'Oh.' Her tone was curious, and Oliver forced himself not to wonder what that meant. 'Thank you.' She smiled softly at him. 'I'll try not to get a big head,' The blonde teased. 'I'm going to go shower now. Talk to you in a few, okay?'

Oliver felt himself nodding as she turnt away but then he heard himself calling out; 'Wait!' Felicity turnt back to him, an eyebrow raised in question. 'What about the board? Are they going to back you?' 

A wicked smile danced across Felicity's painted lips, and for the second time that day he tried not to choke on his non-existent breath. 'No, they didn't. They said it's too risky of a project to put into motion.' And yet, he could sense that the matter wasn't closed yet in the way her eyes flashed devillishly. 

'But?' He asked.

' _But_ , I'm the CEO. And I'm doing what I know is right. The board doesn't own me.' She didn't wait for his response before turning around and striding away without looking back. 

\--><\--

Half an hour later saw Felicity curled up on her plush sofa, her hands cradling a blanket of fries and onion rings and a burger that looked like it might give her a heart attack if she wasn't careful. Oliver tried not look too opinionated as she demolished her burger in only a few bites, and washed it down with a chocolate shake. Then she began working on all her fried accessories, and then he was full out staring.

'Are your judgmental eyes calling me out on my eating habits, Oliver?' Felicity asked between bites, her eyes glued to the T.V. screen. He didn't know what they were watching, but it was one of those pop culture shows that she had never caught him up to date with. The screen slide switched and the image changed to a man and a woman making out heavily.

'Of course not,' He said, knowing that if he said otherwise, Felicity might find a way to castrate him even in his dead state. 'And isn't this show a little rated - r?' He gestured to the screen as the man shucked off his pants, his chest already bare, and then lifted off the brunette's shirt exposing her nakedness. They both watched for a moment as the man threw the woman on the bed and proceeded to trail kisses down her neck.

'This is Game of Thrones.' Felicity said, as the though the title itself explained the content showing. 

'Yeah!' Oliver hissed. 'Game of Thrones, not Fifty Shades of Gray!' He added in a more subdued tone; 'And I have no idea what Game of Thrones is anyways.'

Felicity shook her head. 'I can't believe you. You know what Fifty Shades of Gray is but you don't know what Game of Thrones is. That's an irredeemable crime on your part.'

'I've literally been dead,' He defended himself. 'Can you really blame me?'

'The first Game of Thrones book was released in 1996,' She deadpanned, shoveling a ketchup dipped fry into her mouth. The grunts and groans from the TV floated over their conversation, and Oliver shifted uncomfortably.

'Do we have to watch this now?' He whined. 

Felicity took pity on him and grabbed the remote to press pause. 'Are you squeamish, Oliver Suave Queen? 'Cause, for all your so called bedroom skills, you seem a bit nervous around the sight of sex.'

'First of all, my middle name is Jonas,' He corrected. 'Second, I'm not nervous. It's just weird watching this sort of stuff with you.'

'It's just a T.V. show.'

'Their bare asses are out on display,' Oliver pointed to where the T.V. was pause, and their naked behinds were frozen. 

Felicity stared at him for a moment before saying, 'You're a big baby, Oliver.' She paused then smirked wildly. 'How'd you even get through porn?'

Oliver groaned, wishing he had solid arms so he could bury his face into one of her throw pillows. The thought that a conversation with a girl about sex was embarassing to Oliver Queen was downright hysterical if not completely unlikely. He usually had more game with this. Normally - no. This was just the Felicity effect. It had to be. 'I watched porn by myself.' 

Felicity grinned even bigger at that. 'And here I thought you were so sufficient in the ladies department.'

He had totally walked into that one, he had to give her that. 'Shut up,' The ghost grumbled. 'You'd think that for a CEO, you'd be a bit more serious.'

The blonde scoffed. 'That sounds like every other CEO in town. I think that in the personality department I came with sugar and spice.'

'Sugar and spice, but definitely not everything nice.' 

He felt a tingling at the back of his head when Felicity swatted his phantom figure with the back of her hand. 'You're impossible,' Felicity complained.

'And you're irritating.'

'You're frustrating.'

'Aggravating.'

'Insufferable.'

'Exasperating.'

'Antagonizer'.

'Instigator.'

They faced off for a moment before Felicity snarked, 'Big words for someone who dropped out of four colleges. Are you sure you know what it means?'

'I know enough that they come to mind whenever I'm picturing you,' Oliver retorted, not daring to take his eyes off of her blazing ones.

'And how often do you picture me?' The double meaning there wasn't lost on him - and yet he wasn't entirely sure if they were intentional with the way her cheeks flushed slightly after her words. Still, he wasn't going to back down.

'Probably as much as you picture me.' He locked in on her soft gasp, as though she was shocked at his audacity. He was shocked at himself too. Her eyes held blue fire in them, a sight he knew mirrored his own. The electricity humming in the background heightened the blaring fact that they were alone. 

'And if I were to tell you that I don't picture you at all?' Felicity asked, clearly looking for... something. He couldn't help but lose his train of thought when she licked her lips, the tip of her pink tongue quickly roaming over her mouth. 

'Then I would tell you that you're a terrible liar.' He wondered how he could feel like his insides were being lit on fire when he wasn't even alive. When his nerves weren't even working and his heart wasn't even beating. 'Maybe I should teach you,' He whispered, not willing to break the delicate bubble that they pulled themselves into.

It took her a few seconds to respond but when she did, a glazed sort of look crossed her face. 'Teach me?'

'How to lie.'

Slowly - and almost out of instinct - he raised his hand slightly and moved forward, his ghostly body floating closer to hers. He let his palm cup her cheek, wishing he could actually feel the softness of her smooth, porcelain skin and what had to be the silky texture of her sun blessed hair. 

'Teach me how to lie,' She agreed. 'And maybe I'll teach you how to tell the truth.' Her words came out low, and Oliver knew they were both reading between the lines at this point. That was - until, Oliver began to feel the heat radiating off her body. 

Normally, that wouldn't be an issue but when you were dead and incapable of feeling anything but tingles, it was a bit alarming. He removed his gaze from hers for the first time since their volley of words and looked at the hand on her cheek which was slowly losing it's silvery blue tint and becoming more colored and tan. 

'Felicity?' He said a bit urgently, breaking the fragile mood. 

'Hmmm?'

'My hand! It's - it's -' He held up his hand for her to see and he saw when it registered with her - and how her eyes widened. 

'Holy shit! Why is your hand.... what's happening?' She grabbed for his palm and they both shrieked in surprised when instead of her fingers passing through his, they latched on. 

'I have no clue! It just started happening out of no where!' To say he was a bit freaked out would be an understatement.

'I thought you were dead!' Felicity accused.

"I was! I mean - I am!' Oliver said, his panicked tone clearly making her more panicked. 'I mean, I thought I was but dead people don't usually start... regenerating into a solid body. Now I'm not so sure.'

'What do you mean you're not sure?' Felicity asked, her pitch climbing octaves at this point. Her food and show were forgotten. 

He could suddenly register the feeling of his jeans rubbing against his leg again, and his blue body was flickering from phantomish to real and whole. 

'I mean, I never knew how I died. In fact, no one knows how I died except the guy who did the autopsy and my parents. But no one saw any sign of struggle or anything wrong with my body. Maybe I'm not dead.'

'Then how do you explain your freaky paranormal appearance?' She waved her hands chaotically in his general direction. 'Literally five seconds ago you were phasing in and out of reality!'

'I don't know!' Oliver couldn't help but snap. 'Does it look like I have the instructions manual on how to be semi dead?' 

'Well, STOP being semi dead. Be alive or dead, plain and simple.'

'Oh gee, why didn't I think of that?' Oliver said sarcastically. 'And anyways, what if I'm not dead? What if I'm just in a coma or... something?' 

Felicity sighed, her hand grasping on to his fully now as his body materialized and then flickered every few seconds. 'I really gotta get started on your investigation. I'll start looking tomorrow.'

\--><\--

The next few days were strange to say the very least. Felicity had decided that with this new phenomenom in the works, a day off from work was warranted. To be fair, she hadn't taken a vacation day since she had gotten Smoak Tech up and running. And - did it really count as a vacation day if she was still doing work? The truth of it was, she probably needed to have herself submerged in the water rather than the light toe dipping she was actually doing. The board - the board didn't respect her decisions save for a few sound members, and she had guaranteed that she would make it work. And yet here she was, taking a day off. 

Alena and Curtis probably had a larger work load today but she couldn't make herself feel guilty about it. If they knew what the situation at hand was, they too, would probably be as fascinated as she. 

And the situation at hand?

Well, the _situation_ for a lack of a better word was currently pacing the spanse of her living room in front of the T.V. as she situated herself onto the loveseat, totally not legally upgraded laptop in hand as she attempted to dig into the death of Oliver Queen. 

At this rate, they weren't even sure he was dead. 

Felicity had to stop herself from staring. 

Oliver wasn't fully solid yet. If he even ever would be. But with each step he took, he fluttered back and forth from his normal bluish silvery hue to his rejuvenated bronze tan, like he soaked himself in metal and the soft light of a dim litten lamp. It was mesmerizing to look at. He was adjusting rather slowly. Everytime he bumped into something, he stiffened, like touching it might set off a bomb. It happened often too. He was so used to his body just passing through things that sometimes he just directly walked into solid objects.

He had smacked himself into the wall trying to phase through it, and Felicity would have laughed had the distraught look on his face not been there. 

Things had been relatively quiet despite his pacing and her typing away. She hadn't found anything yet - the Oliver Queen case file seemed rather closed and shut, and there was no trace of the pathologist who had conducted the autopsy. 

But then, there was a knock on her door. Felicity sprung up to her feet, laptop forgotten. Oliver looked at her with bug eyes, clearly unsure of what to do now that could not disappear at will. 

A loud booming voice echoed from the hallway entrance. 'Good morning, Smoaky! It's the most dashing billionare boy you know!' 

'And Diggle!', Said John, with a more flat voice. Felicity whirled on Oliver, who looked about as unprepared as she felt. 

'Felicity!' Oliver half - whispered. 'What are we going to do? Should I -' He hesitated. 'Should I go say hi or something?' 

'NO!' Felicity all but shouted, pushing back on Oliver's semi solid form. The racket outside her door stopped until Diggle's voice came again, albeit more cautiously. 

'Felicity? Are you okay?'

'I'm fine!' She hollered back hoping they couldn't hear the clear panic in her voice. Then the blonde turned back to her roommate. 'Don't go talk to them. We don't know what's happening with you right now. We don't know if you're going to reform permanently or if you're going to revert back to your phantom form. And we don't know how they'll take it.' She put a hand on his chest, urging her brain to not go down the gutter at the feel of his muscles. 'Just, give me a chance to find out a little more about what's happening to you and then we can take it from there.'

Oliver took a deep breath. 'Okay,' He agreed. 'I'm going to go upstairs on the balcony.' 

Felicity nodded before they sprinted in opposite directions. He made a beeline for the stairs and she waited until he was out of sight before unlocking her door and greeting John and Tommy. 

'Hi!' She winced, her voice had came out too high.

'Hi?' Tommy's gaze traveled over her. 'You look kind of flushed.' 

'Yeah, we heard you talking to someone,' Diggle said, and he subtly (but not subtly enough) pushed his gun back into it's holster. 

Felicity ran a shaky hand through her hair, trying smooth it down. 'I was on the phone.'

'On the phone?' Tommy repeated, his eyes narrowed. 'I could hear the guy's voice too.'

'I had my phone on speaker.' _Good save,_ she mentally congratulated herself. 

Diggle just stared at her, like he didn't believe what she was saying. 'Are you going to let us in?' He finally asked.

'Yeah, yeah. Come in.' Felicity held the door open for the men, and shut it carefully behind her. 'I wasn't expecting you guys to show up today,' A bit of irritation crept into her tone but she hoped they didn't notice.

'You called out of work,' Diggle shrugged. 'I've heard you've had almost a perfect attendance record, and you decide to take a day off out of the blue. I had to check in.'

'And you?' She turned to Tommy, who dug his hands into his jean pockets before flashing her a bright grin.

'Clubbing hours are from 9 to 4. I had nothing else to do. Laurel's at work and Thea and Roy are spending some time together today.'

'And you didn't intrude on their date?' Felicity teased. 

'Not for lack of trying. Laurel said I had to let Thea grow up, whatever the hell that means.'

'Believe it or not, that's actually a normal thing to do,' Diggle placed a comforting hand on Tommy's shoulder, although he had an amused expression on his face. 

The dark haired billionare huffed out a breath. 'I suppose, but as her psuedo big brother, I gotta do what I gotta do.' He then shot her a tricky wink. 'But enough about that. You were on the phone... with a man?'

'Yeah... so?' Felicity asked, not seeing where this was going.

In hindsight, she should've. 

'Soooooo... were you engaging in some hot and heavy phone sex?' He grinned, and folded his knuckle below his chin, his eyes shooting her baleful looks. At her outraged expression, he laughed. 'C'mon, Smoaky! Tell me everything, and don't spare a single dirty detail!'

His audactiy totally warranted her picking up her throw pillow and hitting him in the head with it. Diggle did not intervene, because he probably thought Tommy was an idiot as well and, he did not want to be on the end of the pillow harassment. 

'OW!' Tommy cried, holding his arms up in a fetal position to protect himself from her. She didn't hesitate in bringing the cushion down like a whip on his back and arm. 'Stop!'. 

Just as Felicity was about to land in another hit, Diggle placed his arm on hers cautiously. He looked very serious. 

'Did you hear that?' Her bodyguard asked lowly. Tommy and Felicity listened closely, and the latter cringed as there was a loud _thud_ , and then a _crash_ , and finally a speel of cursing in a distinctly male tenor. 

'Smoaky?' Tommy shot her a feral smile now. 'Was it possible your sex was more in person than we thought?'

'No!' Felicity blurted. 'That was no one! No one's here!' She tried not to let her obvious panic show as she shook their attention away from Oliver - Oliver who was totally getting his ass kicked. 

'Someone's here, Felicity,' Diggle insisted, his hand resting on his gun again. 'We may have an intruder on our hands and I think that you should both stay downstairs.'

'Absolutely not!' Felicity and Tommy chorused. 

'Look,' Felicity tried again desperately, wincing again as there was another noise. 'It's just us here.'

Diggle and Tommy ignored her and began to creep up the stairs together. Felicity had no choice but to follow behind them, hoping that Oliver used his peanut sized brain to hide somewhere. They went around the corner of the hallway at the top of the stairs, and Diggle stopped in front of Felicity's room which was the only door closed. Felicity took solace in the fact that Oliver had said he'd be on the balcony. 

Diggle pushed the door open with his foot, the two hot on his heels, silence ensuing. In her periphreal, Felicity caught sight of a bluish wisp behind the door, and she nearly groaned aloud. The second the two boys turned around, they'd see him. Pushing the door back until Oliver was trapped behind it, Felicity tried to appear casual as the ghost groaned as the door made contact with his forehead. 

Diggle whipped around, the safety on his gun off, and Tommy looking excited like a ghost buster. 'What was that?' Tommy asked. 

'What was what?' She strung her hands through her hair.

'The sound. It was back.' Diggle checked every corner of her room, and even the connecting bathroom before he gave it the all clear. 

'There's nothing in here,' The ex military man said. 'I'm probably going to do a sweep of the rest of the rooms but -' He stopped abruptly as the door creaked. 

This fucking idiot.

Felicity was going to smack him. 

None too slowly, Felicity pulled Tommy back over the threshold of the door since he was closer. As she turned back around to get Diggle as well, her heart leapt in her throat as Diggle moved the door back, and was slowly peering behind it.

'DON'T!' Felicity hollered. But it was too late. Diggle's expression morphed from wariness, to confusion, to anger, and then to sadness, and back to confusion all in a span of ten seconds. 

'What... the fuck?'

'What?' Tommy questioned eagerly.

'Nothing!' Felicity waved her arms around placatingly. 'It's nothing! It's just some girl stuff, you know, tampons, and pads, and birth control!' 

Tommy wrinkled his nose. 'You keep this stuff behind your door? That's kinda weird.'

'I do! And, uh, I'm getting my period _right now_ , so you have to go!'

'I do?'

'You do!' The blonde shoved him out the doorway and back down the stairs before all but kicking him out her house. 'Sorry, Merlyn! I have to go!' She ran at lightning speed back up the stairs, where Diggle was now staring shell shocked at Oliver's flickering form. 

Looking back and forth between his charge and his ex charge, the poor man looked like he was caught in the rapture.

'Can someone explain to me what the fuck is going on?'

\--><\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I’m back again with another chapter. i hope you guys liked it! so... someone knows about oliver other than felicity. that should be fun.
> 
> happy reading and stay safe :)


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